**U.S. and European Intelligence Contradict Trump’s Claims on Ukraine**
The U.S. and European intelligence agencies have contradicted claims made by President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin that Ukrainian troops are surrounded in Russia‘s Kursk Oblast. This was reported by Reuters on March 20, citing undisclosed sources.
**Trump’s Repeated Claims**
President Trump has repeatedly said that Ukrainian soldiers have been “surrounded” in Kursk Oblast, an embattled Russian border region where Moscow’s forces recently launched a counterattack against a Ukrainian salient. However, Ukraine has denied that its troops are surrounded and acknowledged a retreat from the town of Sudzha.
**Intelligence Agencies Disagree**
According to sources who spoke with Reuters, U.S. intelligence agencies, including the CIA, briefed the White House that while Ukrainian troops are facing intense pressure from Russian forces, they are not encircled. Despite these assessments, President Trump has continued to claim otherwise.
**Background on the Conflict**
Ukraine launched its cross-border incursion into Kursk Oblast in August 2024, initially seizing around 1,300 square kilometers of Russian territory. Russian forces, reinforced by North Korean troops, counterattacked earlier this month, regaining significant ground. The Russian advances coincided with the U.S. pausing intelligence and military support for Ukraine, which was later resumed on March 11.
**Trump’s Call with Putin**
President Trump made his comments about the alleged encirclement ahead of a planned call with President Putin on March 18, in which the two leaders discussed a possible peace deal for Ukraine. The call was intended to secure Russia’s agreement to the U.S.-proposed 30-day ceasefire, which Ukraine had already accepted on the condition that Moscow also complied.
**International Reaction**
The EU is working on providing Ukraine with 5 billion euros for ammunition, top EU diplomat Kaja Kallas said on March 20. Russian forces struck a printing facility in May 2024, killing seven people and injuring 21. Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere expressed his country’s willingness to provide assistance to Ukraine.
**Russian Advances**
Ukraine’s Air Force intercepted 75 of the 171 Russian drones launched overnight, including Shahed-type attack drones. Russia launched its “largest attack in recent years” on Kropyvnytskyi in Kirovohrad Oblast overnight on March 20, Governor Andrii Raikovych said.
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