Trump boasts of saving ‘surrounded’ Ukrainian troopers regardless of Kyiv denying encirclement in Kursk Oblast

U.S. President Donald Trump claimed on March 17 that he took an unspecified motion to avoid wasting "surrounded" Ukrainian troopers, apparently referring to his earlier and unsubstantiated claims of Kyiv's troops being encircled in Russia's Kursk Oblast.

Ukraine has denied that its troops within the Russian border area could be encircled, regardless of acknowledging a retreat from the city of Sudzha amid a fast Russian advance.

"They’re surrounded by Russian troopers, and I consider if it wasn’t for me, they wouldn’t be right here any longer. I used to be in a position to get them (Russia) to not do something in the intervening time," Trump informed journalists on the Kennedy Heart. The U.S. president has not specified what steps he has taken nor supplied proof of Ukraine's purported encirclement.

Ukraine launched its cross-border incursion into Kursk Oblast in August 2024 however reportedly misplaced a lot of the territory following a Russian counterattack earlier this month. Russian advances, bolstered by North Korean troops, coincided with the U.S. pausing intelligence and army assist for Ukraine.

Trump made the feedback forward of a deliberate name with Russian President Vladimir Putin on March 18 to debate a doable peace deal for Ukraine. The U.S. president mentioned that "many parts of a Closing Settlement have been agreed to, however a lot stays."

The 2 leaders are anticipated to debate a U.S.-proposed 30-day ceasefire, which was agreed upon between Kyiv and Washington throughout talks in Saudi Arabia on March 11. After Ukraine backed the truce, the U.S. resumed its army and intelligence assist.

On March 13, Putin signaled openness to the ceasefire however demanded ensures that Ukraine wouldn’t mobilize, practice troops, or obtain army assist throughout the truce, elevating considerations about renewed Russian aggression.

‘Talk about an invasion is everywhere’ — How Lithuania is preparing for war with RussiaThroughout Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, repeated and escalating warnings of the potential for a wider war have only raised fears in the Baltic states that they could be next in the crosshairs of the Kremlin. Talk about a potential Russian invasion is “very common at parties, gatherings,…The Kyiv IndependentYuliia Taradiuk