WASHINGTON, March 18. /TASS/. US President Donald Trump has strongly denied reports that the defeat of Ukrainian troops in Russia’s Kursk Region was caused by the suspension of US military aid.

"No, not at all. No. Really the opposite," the US leader said, answering to a reporter’s question during a visit to John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

Trump also said he had asked Russia not to take an active military action against Ukrainian troops surrounded in the Kursk Region.

"Tomorrow, I'm speaking with President Putin of Russia to save some soldiers who are in deep trouble," he said. "They're surrounded by Russian soldiers, and I believe if it wasn't for me, they wouldn't be here any longer. I was able to get them not to do anything at this moment."

On March 11, negotiations took place in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, between delegations from the United States and Ukraine. Following these discussions, a joint statement was issued, indicating that Ukraine is willing to accept the US proposal for a 30-day ceasefire. In return, Washington will immediately lift the pause on intelligence sharing and resume military assistance to Kiev. The parties also agreed to sign the agreement on Ukrainian minerals as soon as possible.

Previously, Russian President Vladimir Putin said he had examined the US leader’s request to spare the lives of Ukrainian servicemen, encircled in the Kursk Region. In this regard, Putin said that Kiev troops were responsible for crimes against the region’s civilian population, "which the Russian Prosecutor General’s Office qualifies as terrorism.".