ALWAGHT- President Donald Trump called it "unbelievable" that Russian forces managed to encircle numerous Ukrainian troops despite years of extensive financial and military support from Washington to Kyiv.
In August 2024, Kyiv launched an incursion into Russia’s Kursk Region, capturing Sudzha and several villages in an attempt to gain leverage in future peace talks. However, as of Wednesday, Moscow had retaken 86% of the territory, with remaining Ukrainian forces encircled and isolated, according to Russia’s Defense Ministry. Former US President Donald Trump criticized the situation, blaming Joe Biden for allowing the war to escalate and questioning Ukraine’s decision to challenge a much stronger opponent despite extensive US military aid.
Russian President Vladimir Putin responded to Trump’s remarks, saying he was “sympathetic” to the plea for sparing Ukrainian troops but insisted that Kyiv must order them to surrender for their safety to be guaranteed. He also accused Ukrainian forces of committing crimes against civilians in Kursk and labeled their actions as terrorism. Meanwhile, Trump reiterated his desire to end the conflict quickly, even expelling Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky from the White House last month over concerns that he was unwilling to seek peace.
During recent peace talks in Saudi Arabia—held without Zelensky— Kyiv accepted Washington’s proposal for a 30-day truce, with US envoy Steve Witkoff relaying details to Moscow. Putin signaled openness to the plan but emphasized that unresolved issues, including the status of Ukrainian troops, needed to be addressed. Trump expressed cautious optimism, stating that negotiations were progressing “reasonably well” and that more developments were expected soon.
