Trump says US had a "good and productive" discussion with Russia after Witkoff-Putin meeting

 President Donald Trump on Friday called Thursday’s meeting between US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Russian President Vladimir Putin “very good and productive.”

“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 wrote in a post on Truth Social.

Trump also highlighted that thousands of Ukrainian troops are surrounded by Russian forces, claiming that he has “strongly requested” to Putin to spare their lives, describing the potential outcome as a “horrible massacre.”

Before his meeting with Witkoff on Thursday, Putin questioned the US-brokered proposal for a ceasefire in the Ukraine war, setting forth tough conditions and demanding concessions from Kyiv despite saying he supported a truce in theory.