President Vladimir Putin has visited the western Russian region of Kursk for the first time since Ukrainian forces seized some territory in the region, Russian news agencies reported on Wednesday.

He was told by the head of the Russian General Staff that Kyiv’s troops in the area were surrounded and faced ‘systematic destruction’.

The bulk of Ukrainian forces, including some of Kyiv’s most battle-hardened brigades, have likely withdrawn from Russia’s Kursk region, relocating back into Ukrainian territory, military correspondent David Axe wrote for Forbes on March 11.

US President Donald Trump is asking Vladimir Putin to sign up to a truce in Ukraine, saying “ it takes two to tango .” The Russian president may play hard to get. Ukraine’s agreement to a 30-day ceasefire at talks with the US in Saudi Arabia yesterday moves the spotlight onto Russia to halt its three-year-long war.

Just a month into his presidency, Donald Trump began “openly embracing Vladimir Putin’s wish list for Ukraine and beyond,” and upending 80 years of foreign policy by aligning the U.S. with Russia and against NATO.

Donald Trump will challenge Vladimir Putin to agree to a 30-day ceasefire after securing Ukraine’s approval for his plan to bring about an end to the war.