Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky has denied claims by Russian President Vladimir Putin that his forces are trying to trap Ukrainian troops in the Kursk region. In a statement on Saturday, Mr. Zelensky said the assertion was “untrue” and accused Mr. Putin of attempting to surround Kyiv’s forces.
Russia is pressing an offensive to take back its land in the Kursk region, while also prolonging negotiations over a cease-fire proposal by Washington and Kyiv. The Kremlin claims that Ukrainian troops are encircled, but Ukraine’s military has not publicly commented on this claim.
The situation is tense as fighting rages in and around the Kursk region, where Ukraine seized territory from Russia last summer. The Russian Defense Ministry said its forces had retaken two villages outside Sudzha, a main Russian town occupied by Ukraine.
Mr. Putin has offered Ukrainian soldiers to surrender and save their lives, but Mr. Zelensky described this as an attempt to “play games” with the deal proposed by US President Trump. The offer was made despite Russia’s accumulation of forces along the Ukrainian border in anticipation of a major offensive effort.
The conflict is further complicated by the UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer warning that the West cannot allow Mr. Putin to undermine the peace agreement. Meanwhile, overnight attacks on Ukrainian cities continued, with two Iskander-M ballistic missiles and 178 drones launched at residential areas, injuring 14 people.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/15/world/europe/russia-ukraine-kursk-cease-fire-talks.html