Putin has accused Ukrainian troops of carrying out crimes against civilians in Kursk, something Kyiv denies. But the Russian president said he understood the call by Trump to take humanitarian considerations into account.
“In this regard, I would like to emphasize that if (the Ukrainian troops) lay down their arms and surrender, they will be guaranteed life and decent treatment in accordance with international law and the laws of the Russian Federation,” Putin said.
The deputy chairman of Russia’s security council, former President Dmitry Medvedev, posted on social media that if Ukrainian troops “refuse to lay down their arms, they will all be methodically and mercilessly destroyed.”
Kyiv’s military, however, said there was no threat of encirclement, and its troops were pulling back to better positions.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, at a G7 meeting in La Malbaie, Canada, said Witkoff was returning to the United States from Moscow and there may be discussions about Ukraine over the weekend.
“But we certainly feel like we’re at least some steps closer to ending this war and bringing peace. But it’s still a long journey,” he told reporters.
