Lay down arms and surrender - Putin responds to Trump’s call to spare Ukrainian soldiers

Trump once again dedicated significant attention to the issue of Ukraine. Negotiations are currently ongoing behind closed doors, and new information is likely to emerge only on Monday.

Nonetheless, Trump assessed the conflict in Ukraine more broadly. He stated that one fundamental reason for the standoff is that Kiev should remember – never provoke someone stronger than yourself. According to American sources, a considerable group of Ukrainian Armed Forces is encircled in the Kursk Region. Trump directly urged the President of Russia to show leniency towards these individuals.

Moscow is "sympathetic" to the US, yet it was emphasized that everything in this situation depends on the stance of the Ukrainian side.

President Vladimir Putin remarked: "We have taken note of the recent appeal from President Trump of the United States to spare the lives of Ukrainian military personnel, parts of which are surrounded by Russian forces in the area of the Ukrainian incursion into the Kursk Region. Should they lay down their arms and surrender, their lives and dignified treatment will be guaranteed in accordance with international law and the legal norms of the Russian Federation."

The Russian leader pointed out that Kiev’s forces had committed "numerous crimes against civilians" during their incursion into Kursk Region and that the Russian law enforcement authorities were treating their actions as "terrorism."

For the US president’s call to be "effectively heeded," Kiev must order its troops to lay down their arms, Putin stated.

Meanwhile, in Kiev, the authorities refuse to take measures to save their soldiers, insisting that there is no encirclement in the Kursk Region. Consequently, if there is no encirclement, the notion of surrendering cannot even be considered, and there is no reason to appeal to the Russian leadership for humanitarian considerations.

According to Western media reports, approximately 5,000 Ukrainian soldiers may be trapped in the Kursk Region.