Putin: Russia is open to discussions with Ukraine following the 'liberation' of

Following assertions of having quashed Ukraine's incursion into Kursk, aided by North Korea, Russia has declared its readiness to engage in peace discussions with Kyiv.

However, President Trump has expressed skepticism regarding Putin's statements and threatened to impose additional sanctions. According to the Kremlin, Russian President Vladimir Putin is willing to initiate peace talks with Ukraine. This announcement came as the Russian military reported regaining control over the Kursk border region. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that Putin expressed his intent to negotiate during a meeting with U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff in Moscow on Friday. "During the discussions with Witkoff, Vladimir Putin reaffirmed that Russia is open to resuming negotiations with Ukraine without preconditions," Peskov noted, mentioning that this stance has been reiterated multiple times before.

Peskov's comments follow the Russian military's claim of successfully expelling the last remnants of Ukrainian troops, who had conducted an unexpected incursion into the Kursk region in August last year. Analysts view this as an effort to provide Kyiv with territorial leverage in future negotiations. Russian Chief of Staff Valery Gerasimov announced during a video conference with Putin on Saturday that "the last settlement in the Kursk region, the village of Gornal, has been liberated from Ukrainian forces." Acknowledgment of North Korean Military Involvement: Gerasimov commended the "heroism" of North Korean troops involved in the operation, marking the first acknowledgment from the Russian military regarding the participation of North Korean forces.
Western and South Korean intelligence sources indicate that over 10,000 North Korean soldiers were dispatched to Russia last year to support Moscow in response to Ukraine's incursions in Kursk. Putin remarked in a Kremlin-released video that "the Kyiv regime's adventure has completely failed," adding that the decisive victory in the Kursk border region paves the way for successful actions by Russian forces in other critical areas.
The Russian Defense Ministry stated that its military was helping restore normalcy to the Kursk region and that efforts were underway to clear the area of mines. Ukraine Maintains Operational Activities in Kursk: In response, the Ukrainian military dismissed Russia's claims as "propaganda," asserting that, despite a challenging situation, Ukrainian forces continue to hold their ground in Kursk and are actively engaged in operations in the Belgorod region. "The assertions from the aggressor's high command regarding the supposed cessation of hostilities in the Kursk region are false," Ukraine's General Staff stated, emphasizing, "Our defensive activities in specific areas of the Kursk region persist. While the operational situation is challenging, our units are maintaining their designated positions and executing assigned tasks, effectively targeting the enemy." Zelenskyy Engages with Western Leaders: Earlier on Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with U.S. President Trump for a brief 15-minute session at the Vatican, prior to the Pope's funeral. The White House characterized their discussion, which was the first face-to-face meeting since a contentious Oval Office confrontation in February, as "very productive.

" Ukrainian officials described the encounter as "constructive," with Zelenskyy suggesting it could lead to significant outcomes. "We covered a lot in our one-on-one. I hope we see results on everything we discussed: protecting our people, achieving a full and unconditional ceasefire, and establishing a reliable peace to prevent any future conflict," he conveyed on social media. While in Rome, Zelenskyy also met with French President Emmanuel Macron, who indicated that Zelenskyy expressed Kyiv's readiness for an unconditional ceasefire and a desire to collaborate with the U.S. and Europe to implement it. Macron mentioned that "ending the war in Ukraine" aligns with President Trump's objectives and highlighted France and the UK's willingness to spearhead a "coalition of the willing" aimed at ensuring the enforcement of any potential peace agreement. Trump Questions Putin's Intentions: However, President Trump raised doubts about Putin's sincerity regarding negotiations in a social media post while returning from the Vatican. He remarked, "There was no justification for Putin to be launching missiles at civilian areas over the past few days," in reference to recent deadly strikes on Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Sumy. This led him to speculate that perhaps Putin "does not want to end the war." Trump suggested that Putin might be manipulating the situation and could require a different approach involving banking or secondary sanctions. He reiterated that he had no involvement in the ongoing conflict, placing blame on past Democratic administrations for leaving him a "mess" to manage. "This is Sleepy Joe Biden's war, not mine," he asserted, claiming it was a failed endeavor that should have never occurred and would not have if he were in office at that time, seemingly overlooking the ongoing conflict in the Donbas that persisted throughout his administration. **Ukraine Reports Continued Drone Activity Despite Warnings**