Zelenskyy dismisses Putin’s encirclement claim as Russia advances in Kursk amid ceasefire talks

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of attempting to encircle Ukrainian forces in Russia’s Kursk region to strengthen his position in ceasefire negotiations with the United States. However, Zelenskyy dismissed claims that Ukrainian troops were trapped.
Zelenskyy, speaking to journalists in Kyiv said, "There are Ukrainian troops in Kursk region," he said. "Their encirclement is Putin's lie."
Russia’s defence ministry meanwhile reported recapturing two villages near Sudzha, a key Russian town previously occupied by Ukrainian forces. Ukraine’s general staff has not officially commented on Sudzha’s status, but a battlefield map released on Saturday showed the town outside Ukrainian-controlled territory.
Fighting remains intense in Kursk, where Ukrainian forces launched a surprise offensive last summer. The Kremlin is pressing forward to reclaim lost ground while delaying ceasefire discussions initiated by the US and Ukraine.
On Friday, Putin urged Ukrainian troops in Kursk to surrender, promising to spare their lives. He also claimed they were surrounded, a statement later echoed by Donald Trump on Truth Social. Zelenskyy rejected the claim, calling it “Putin’s lie.”
Trump, in his Truth Social post Friday also said his administration had held "very good and productive discussions" with Putin, "and there is a very good chance that this horrible, bloody war can finally come to an end."