Trump asks Putin to ‘spare’ Ukrainians, Zelensky slams Russian president of ‘sabotaging diplomatic efforts’ | 10 updates

Russian President Vladimir Putin called on Friday for beleaguered Ukrainian troops in the Russian region of Kursk to “surrender” as Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky accused the Russian leader of seeking to sabotage a ceasefire initiative.

Here are the top ten updates:

1. The ceasefire proposal arises during a swift Russian counteroffensive in the western Kursk region. Moscow has pushed many of Kyiv’s forces out of the Kursk province and has been making progress in the eastern Ukrainian Donetsk region for the past year, as reported by AFP.

2. A loss in Kursk would deal a significant setback to Ukraine, as it has relied on its control of the region as leverage in potential peace talks for the ongoing three-year conflict.

Also Read: Russia-Ukraine ceasefire: Will Putin accept Donald Trump’s proposal? Will this war end soon? What we know so far

3. On Friday, Zelensky accused Vladimir Putin of undermining diplomatic efforts to achieve peace in Ukraine, criticizing the Russian leader's reaction to a US-Ukrainian proposal for an unconditional 30-day ceasefire.

4. “He is now doing everything he can to sabotage diplomacy by setting extremely difficult and unacceptable conditions right from the start even before a ceasefire,” Zelensky said in a post on X.

5. Zelensky said the United States could exert sufficient pressure on Russia to stop its invasion because, he said, Putin “will not end the war on his own”.

Also Read: Putin says ‘in favour’ of US proposal for 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine, seeks discussion with Donald Trump

6. "The strength of America is enough to make it happen. Strong steps are needed. Strong pressure must be applied to the only one who wants to continue this war," Zelensky said in a statement on social media.

7. US President Donald Trump said Friday his administration had "productive" talks with Russia about a ceasefire in Ukraine, urging counterpart Vladimir Putin to spare Ukrainian soldiers on the front line, AFP reported.

8. Trump envoy Steve Witkoff met Putin late Thursday to discuss the details of a joint US-Ukrainian plan. The plan envisages a 30-day pause in hostilities between Moscow and Kyiv after three years of war.

Also Read: ‘If they surrender’: Vladimir Putin responds to Donald Trump’s plea to ‘spare Ukrainians’

9. “We had very good and productive discussions with President Vladimir Putin of Russia yesterday, and there is a very good chance that this horrible, bloody war can finally come to an end,” Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform.

10. Trump also appealed to Putin over what he said were "thousands" of Ukrainian troops who were “completely surrounded by the Russian military, and in a very bad and vulnerable position”. "I have strongly requested to President Putin that their lives be spared. This would be a horrible massacre, one not seen since World War II," he said.

(With inputs from AFP)