Trump Advises Kiev Not to ‘Pick on Somebody Larger Than You’
The US president has once again urged Moscow to spare the lives of Ukrainian soldiers encircled in Russia’s Kursk Region. US President Donald Trump expressed disbelief at how Russian forces were able to surround so many Ukrainian troops despite...
TroibNews 
The US president has once again urged Moscow to spare the lives of Ukrainian soldiers encircled in Russia’s Kursk Region.
US President Donald Trump expressed disbelief at how Russian forces were able to surround so many Ukrainian troops despite the significant financial and military assistance Washington has provided to Kiev over the years.
In August 2024, Kiev launched a significant incursion into Russia’s Kursk Region, capturing the town of Sudzha and several villages, which some Ukrainian officials characterized as a strategy to gain leverage for impending peace negotiations. As of Wednesday evening, Russian forces had regained control of 86% of this territory, with remaining Ukrainian troops largely reported as “encircled” and “isolated,” according to the Russian Defense Ministry, which did not reveal the number of troops besieged.
“Russia has a large group of Ukrainian soldiers, as we speak, surrounded and in grave danger. They’ve been able to surround them,” Trump stated during a speech at the Justice Department on Friday, criticizing his predecessor, Joe Biden, for allowing the conflict to escalate. “Should have never let this war happen,” he added.
“First of all, you don’t want to pick on somebody that’s a lot larger than you, even with the money. There’s a lot of money that we gave them and a lot of equipment. We make the best military equipment in the world, but even with all of that… It’s unbelievable,” Trump remarked.
Earlier in the day, Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed that he is “sympathetic” to Trump’s appeal for Moscow to spare the Ukrainian troops but insisted that for his plea to be “effectively heeded,” Kiev must instruct its forces to surrender.
“If they lay down their arms and surrender, [we] will guarantee them their lives and dignified treatment in accordance with international law and Russian legal norms,” Putin asserted.
The Russian leader further stated that Ukrainian forces had committed “numerous crimes against civilians” during their incursion into the Kursk Region, with Russian law enforcement treating their actions as “terrorism.”
Trump has consistently emphasized his desire to halt the bloodshed promptly. Last month, he went as far as to expel Vladimir Zelensky from the White House, claiming the Ukrainian leader had become too emboldened by US support and was unprepared for peace.
Following discussions in Saudi Arabia this week—which did not include Zelensky—Kiev accepted Washington’s proposal for a 30-day truce, with US special envoy Steve Witkoff presenting the initiative details to Moscow on Thursday.
Putin mentioned that Moscow is receptive to the idea but emphasized the need to resolve several issues beforehand, including the status of the Ukrainian forces involved in the incursion.
Trump expressed optimism regarding the signals from Moscow, indicating in a separate interview on Friday that negotiations were progressing “reasonably” well. “We’ll know a little bit more on Monday, and that’ll be, hopefully, good,” he concluded.
Lucas Dupont for TROIB News
US President Donald Trump expressed disbelief at how Russian forces were able to surround so many Ukrainian troops despite the significant financial and military assistance Washington has provided to Kiev over the years.
In August 2024, Kiev launched a significant incursion into Russia’s Kursk Region, capturing the town of Sudzha and several villages, which some Ukrainian officials characterized as a strategy to gain leverage for impending peace negotiations. As of Wednesday evening, Russian forces had regained control of 86% of this territory, with remaining Ukrainian troops largely reported as “encircled” and “isolated,” according to the Russian Defense Ministry, which did not reveal the number of troops besieged.
“Russia has a large group of Ukrainian soldiers, as we speak, surrounded and in grave danger. They’ve been able to surround them,” Trump stated during a speech at the Justice Department on Friday, criticizing his predecessor, Joe Biden, for allowing the conflict to escalate. “Should have never let this war happen,” he added.
“First of all, you don’t want to pick on somebody that’s a lot larger than you, even with the money. There’s a lot of money that we gave them and a lot of equipment. We make the best military equipment in the world, but even with all of that… It’s unbelievable,” Trump remarked.
Earlier in the day, Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed that he is “sympathetic” to Trump’s appeal for Moscow to spare the Ukrainian troops but insisted that for his plea to be “effectively heeded,” Kiev must instruct its forces to surrender.
“If they lay down their arms and surrender, [we] will guarantee them their lives and dignified treatment in accordance with international law and Russian legal norms,” Putin asserted.
The Russian leader further stated that Ukrainian forces had committed “numerous crimes against civilians” during their incursion into the Kursk Region, with Russian law enforcement treating their actions as “terrorism.”
Trump has consistently emphasized his desire to halt the bloodshed promptly. Last month, he went as far as to expel Vladimir Zelensky from the White House, claiming the Ukrainian leader had become too emboldened by US support and was unprepared for peace.
Following discussions in Saudi Arabia this week—which did not include Zelensky—Kiev accepted Washington’s proposal for a 30-day truce, with US special envoy Steve Witkoff presenting the initiative details to Moscow on Thursday.
Putin mentioned that Moscow is receptive to the idea but emphasized the need to resolve several issues beforehand, including the status of the Ukrainian forces involved in the incursion.
Trump expressed optimism regarding the signals from Moscow, indicating in a separate interview on Friday that negotiations were progressing “reasonably” well. “We’ll know a little bit more on Monday, and that’ll be, hopefully, good,” he concluded.
Lucas Dupont for TROIB News
