President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday, March 12, expressed hope his army was on the brink of "fully liberating" Russia's Kursk region, as Ukraine hinted it was pulling troops back in the face of rapid Russian advances. In his first visit to the region since Ukraine launched its shock counter-offensive in August, Putin, dressed in army camouflage, hailed recent gains and urged his troops on.
"I am counting on the fact that all the combat tasks facing our units will be fulfilled, and the territory of the Kursk region will soon be completely liberated from the enemy," he said in televised remarks.
Russia's forces have retaken 24 settlements in the border region over the last five days, chief of the general staff Valery Gerasimov told Putin. Minutes after footage of Putin's remarks aired on Russian state TV, Ukraine's army commander suggested his troops were pulling back to minimise losses.
"In the most difficult situation, my priority has been and remains saving the lives of Ukrainian soldiers. To this end, the units of the defence forces, if necessary, manoeuvre to more favourable positions," commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrsky said in a Facebook post, in language typically used to describe a withdrawal.
He added however: "Despite the increased pressure from the Russian/North Korean army, we will hold the defence in the Kursk region as long as it is appropriate and necessary."
Ukraine and its allies say more than 10,000 North Korean troops are fighting for Russia in Kursk. Gerasimov said Russia had captured 430 Ukrainian soldiers in the region, while Syrsky said 942 Russians had been taken as prisoners of war.
Putin said the captured Ukrainian fighters should be "treated as terrorists, in accordance with the laws of the Russian Federation," suggesting they could face trials in Russian courts and be jailed for decades. Russia has already put several captured Ukrainian fighters on trial for "terrorism."
The Geneva Convention prohibits putting captured fighters on trial for their involvement in armed hostilities. Gerasimov said Russia had retaken around 1,100 square kilometres (425 square miles) of territory in the Kursk region – the vast majority of what Ukraine initially seized in its shock August 2024 incursion.
The Russian success on the battlefield comes as the United States says it wants Russia to agree "unconditionally" to a complete 30-day ceasefire – a plan Kyiv has endorsed. Ukraine had hoped to use its hold on the Kursk region as a bargaining chip in peace talks with Moscow.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump expressed optimism Wednesday that US negotiators headed to Moscow could secure a ceasefire in the Ukraine war, with officials saying the United States wants Russia to agree to an unconditional halt to hostilities.
The Kremlin said it was awaiting details of a US-Ukrainian proposal agreed this week, and gave no indication of its readiness to stop fighting that has left tens of thousands dead in the past three years.
President Vladimir Putin visited Russian troops who have made gains against Ukrainian forces battling to keep Russian territory seized in an offensive last year. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky said his country was ready to embrace a deal, and the United States had indicated it would issue a "strong" response if Putin refuses an accord.
"People are going to Russia right now as we speak. And hopefully we can get a ceasefire from Russia," Trump told reporters during an Oval Office meeting with Ireland's prime minister Micheal Martin.
The White House said that Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff, a mediator in the Gaza and Ukraine wars, would be in Moscow this week.
Trump on Wednesday did not mention whether he would speak with Putin, but added that there had been "positive messages" from Moscow, saying: "I hope he's going to have a ceasefire."
US arms deliveries to Ukraine resumed Wednesday, officials said, a day after the Trump administration lifted its suspension of military aid for Kyiv in its fight against Russia's invasion , and officials awaited the Kremlin's response to a proposed 30-day ceasefire endorsed by Ukraine.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said it’s important not to "get ahead" of the question of responding to the ceasefire proposed by Washington. He told reporters that Moscow is awaiting "detailed information" from the US and suggested that Russia must get that before it can take a position. The Kremlin has previously opposed anything short of a permanent end to the conflict and has not accepted any concessions.