US President Donald Trump says he had very good and productive discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin yesterday and that there was a very good chance that the war in Ukraine could finally come to an end.

This after the Kremlin indicated Friday that there were reasons to be optimistic after agreeing in principle to a ceasefire but that fighting could not be paused until a number of crucial conditions had been worked out

Ukraine had already agreed to a 30-day ceasefire on the war front.

While Ukraine and Europe remain skeptical, Trump says his discussions with his Russian counterpart were productive, posting today that there was a very good chance the war could end.

Without a firm agreement to an immediate cessation of hostilities, the war is likely to drag on. Trump also wrote that at this very moment thousands of Ukrainian troops were surrounded by the Russian military and were in a very vulnerable position, adding it would be a horrible massacre.

He said he’d asked President Putin to spare their lives.

Earlier Putin said they would agree to a ceasefire only if it leads to long-term peace and eliminates the root causes of the crisis.