In the first round of U.S.-Ukrainian talks in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, the Ukrainian delegation expressed its readiness for an immediate ceasefire. It was then Moscow’s turn, but instead of expressing interest in moving ahead with peace, Putin instead went to Kursk to rally his troops.
This was Putin’s first visit since Ukraine’s offensive in the region. He listened to a report from Russian General Staff Chief Valery Gerasimov, who told him that Ukrainian troops in the Kursk region were now surrounded, writes Do Rzeczy based on information first out of the TASS news agency.
The Russian president stressed that Russian troops should completely liberate the region from Ukrainian troops as soon as possible and that any soldiers captured in the region should be treated “as terrorists.”
In response, Ukrainian General Staff Chief Oleksandr Syrsky said on social media that Ukrainian troops would continue operations in Kursk Oblast “as long as it is appropriate and necessary.”
As Syrski noted, fighting continues in the city of Sudzha and its surroundings.
Putin orders his troops to reclaim all of Russia's territory in Kursk.
"Our task in the near future, in the shortest possible time, is to finally defeat the enemy."
It doesn't look like the war is ending anytime soon. pic.twitter.com/aJaEWIEvga
— Remix News & Views (@RMXnews) March 13, 2025“Ukrainian defense forces units are maneuvering to more favorable positions, if necessary,” the military official said. Gen. Syrski also emphasized that saving soldiers’ lives is a priority.
According to reports out of Bloomberg on Wednesday, Putin is demanding a halt to arms deliveries to Ukraine and a neutral status for the Ukrainian state before any ceasefire can be reached.
The Kremlin has also made it clear that it will not consent to a NATO mission in the conflict area under any conditions. This rules out the possibility of having French or British peacekeeping troops in Ukraine, at least for now.
U.S. President Trump told reporters on Wednesday that he had received positive information about the possibility of a truce, emphasizing that everything now depends on Russia. He also noted that the United States could impose “devastating” financial sanctions on Russia if the Kremlin does not agree to a peace deal.
