Russia and Putin · Second term · № 101
Said thousands of Ukrainian troops were "completely surrounded"; Ukraine's military said that was untrue
“AT THIS VERY MOMENT, THOUSANDS OF UKRAINIAN TROOPS ARE 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.”
- Said
- , Truth Social
- Subject
- Kursk encirclement claim
- Type
- Ukraine
- Topic
- Ukraine & Russia
- Era
- Second term
What happened
Trump posted the claim on March 14, 2025, after what he called "very good and productive discussions" with Putin the day before. The General Staff of Ukraine's armed forces said the same day that reports of an encirclement in Russia's Kursk region were "untrue and are being created by the Russians for political purposes and to put pressure on Ukraine and its partners," and that there was "no threat of encirclement of our units." It said Ukrainian units had regrouped and moved to more favorable defensive lines. Putin responded that Ukrainian soldiers in Kursk should surrender and that Ukraine's leadership would need to order them to do so. The Kyiv Independent reported that neither Trump nor Putin provided evidence that Ukrainian troops were surrounded.