WASHINGTON — The Trump administration said it was optimistic about the possibility of a ceasefire in the Ukraine conflict even as President Vladimir Putin appeared to reject U.S. calls for immediate halt to the violence.

Instead the Russian leader demanded Ukraine to order troops who had occupied land in the Kursk region to surrender. That was in response to a plea from President Donald Trump to spare the lives of what he said were thousands of Ukrainian troops who were in a “very bad and vulnerable position.”

While Russian troops have rapidly regained ground in Kursk following a surprise Ukrainian incursion in August, Ukraine’s General Staff called reports of the alleged encirclement untrue and blamed Russia for spreading them for political purposes.

“Putin is lying about the real situation on the battlefield,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote on X. “He is doing everything possible to ensure that diplomacy fails.”

The latest back and forth left unclear the fate of Trump’s demand for a quick agreement on a temporary ceasefire. U.S. officials had said they hoped fighting would stop within days after Ukraine — pressured by a suspension in U.S. intelligence and military support — agreed to the idea earlier this week. But Putin has balked, saying he needs more details on the plan as his troops are advancing across the front.

Looking to ramp up the pressure on Putin, French President Emmanuel Macron said in an X post Tuesday that Russia must accept the ceasefire proposal.

“Abuses must stop,” he wrote. “So must delaying statements.”

Trump dispatched U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff to Moscow for talks this week about next steps. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Witkoff was on his way back and the expectation was the U.S. side would convene over the weekend to discuss how to proceed.

“We’ll examine the Russian position more closely and the president will then determine what the next steps are,” Rubio told reporters. “I think there is reason to be cautiously optimistic. But by the same token, we continue to recognize this is a difficult and complex situation.”

Trump — who has enjoyed a warm relationship with Putin dating back to his first administration — also expressed optimism that Russia will ultimately agree to his proposal. He has already said that he expects Ukraine to accept terms that include formalizing the Russian annexation of some territory and abandoning their bid to join NATO.

But Trump’s post to Truth Social on Friday morning raised questions about his understanding of the conditions on the battlefield. He urged Putin to spare Ukrainian soldiers who he said were surrounded.

Trump didn’t say what he was referring to, and a White House spokesperson didn’t immediately respond to a request for clarification. But Putin subsequently said that he would respond to Trump’s call by sparing the lives of Ukrainian troops in the Kursk region if they laid down their arms, according to state media.

“To implement the U.S. president’s call efficiently, the military and political leadership of Ukraine needs to make a corresponding order to its military to lay down their arms and surrender,” Putin said.

The complete expulsion of Ukrainian forces would deal a blow to Kyiv, which had hoped to use Russian territory it captured as a potential bargaining chip in the peace talks sought by Trump. And Zelenskyy said that while Ukraine’s troops fighting on Russia’s territory face enormous pressure, their presence has helped the military to hold defenses at home.

The Kursk incursion has slowed down the advance of Putin’s troops toward large cities like Kharkiv and Sumy and smaller Pokrovsk in Donetsk region, Zelenskyy said.

Earlier Friday, the Kremlin said Putin had asked Witkoff to convey messages to Trump ahead of a possible phone call between the two leaders.

“Additional information was provided to the Russian side,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters Friday, according to the Interfax news agency. “Putin asked Witkoff to convey information and additional messages to President Trump.”

A decision on a phone call between Trump and Putin will be made once Witkoff has relayed the information from the talks, and both sides understand the need for a discussion, Peskov said, without giving further details. There are reasons for “cautious optimism” about prospects for a ceasefire, he added, according to Interfax.

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(With assistance from Greg Sullivan and Volodymyr Verbianyi.)

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