U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to spare the lives of encircled Ukrainian soldiers, following what he described as “very good and productive” discussions aimed at establishing a ceasefire between the two countries.

Trump’s remarks came after his special envoy held talks with Putin in Moscow to advance a proposed 30-day ceasefire aimed at halting the war that has now entered its third year.

“We had very good and productive discussions with President Vladimir Putin of Russia yesterday, and there is a very good chance that this horrible, bloody war can finally come to an end,” Trump posted on his Truth Social platform.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt clarified that Trump did not personally speak with Putin on Thursday, nor was a call scheduled for Friday, though she added “that could obviously change.”

Trump previously claimed to have spoken with Putin “numerous” times since returning to office. Only one of those calls — held in February — has been officially confirmed, sparking the current ceasefire initiative.

In a rare public appeal, Trump called on Putin to spare what he claimed were “thousands” of Ukrainian troops surrounded by Russian forces and facing dire circumstances.

“I have strongly requested President Putin that their lives be spared. This would be a horrible massacre — one not seen since World War II. God bless them all!” Trump wrote.

Ukrainian officials quickly rejected Trump’s assertion, denying that such a large number of their troops were encircled.

The appeal comes as Russia has ramped up efforts in the contested Kursk region, parts of which were seized by Ukrainian forces last year. Kursk has since been viewed as a key bargaining chip in any future negotiations over territorial control.

Russia, which has occupied about 20 percent of Ukraine’s territory since annexing Crimea in 2014 and launching a full-scale invasion in 2022, said Friday that Putin had sent “additional signals” to Trump regarding a possible ceasefire and expressed cautious optimism about reaching a deal.

U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff met with Putin late Thursday to present the details of a joint U.S.-Ukrainian ceasefire proposal.

The Kremlin confirmed that both sides agreed on the need for direct talks between Trump and Putin, though no date has yet been set.