In a public address about Ukraine's largest attack on Russian territory since the conflict between the two countries began, Putin said that Ukraine, "with the help of Western powers," is trying to improve its position ahead of possible negotiations.
However, President Putin stated that plans to attack Russian territory to force Russia to the negotiating table were pointless. "What kind of negotiations could we possibly have with them?" he asked. He also predicted that Ukraine would continue its efforts to destabilize Russia's western border.
"The main task, of course, is for the Ministry of Defense to repel and drive the enemy out of our territory," Putin said, adding that Russian forces are accelerating their advance along the remaining 1,000-kilometer front line.
Russian President Vladimir Putin. Photo: TASS
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the war is now turning back towards Russia. He stated that Ukraine's cross-border offensive is a security issue for Ukraine and that Kyiv has gained control of several areas within Russian territory.
The commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian armed forces, Oleksandr Syrskyi, stated that Ukraine controls 1,000 square kilometers of Russian territory, a much larger area than the figure provided by the Russian side. The acting governor of Kursk, Alexei Smirnov, said that Ukraine controls 28 settlements in the region, and the incursion extends approximately 12 kilometers deep and 40 kilometers wide.
In the Kursk region alone, 121,000 people have left or been evacuated, and another 59,000 are in the process of being evacuated. In the Belgorod region of Russia, bordering Kursk, thousands of civilians have also been evacuated.
Ukrainian forces in Kursk are attempting to encircle Sudzha, where Russian natural gas flows into Ukraine, while major battles are taking place near Korenevo and Martynovka, Russian areas about 20 kilometers from the border with Ukraine.
Russia announced that Ukrainian attacks on the Kursk region killed 12 people and injured 121. Photo: TASS
After more than two years of the most intense ground conflict in Europe since World War II, both Russia and Ukraine have indicated they are considering the possibility of negotiations, although there are no signs yet on how this might unfold.
In February, Putin's proposal for a ceasefire in Ukraine to freeze the war was rejected by the US. In June, Putin proposed negotiating terms that included requiring Kyiv to abandon its NATO membership ambitions and withdraw all troops from the four provinces that Moscow claims to have annexed.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, following talks with China, stated last month that Kyiv would only negotiate on the conflict with Russia if Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity were fully respected.
Huy Hoang (according to TASS, Reuters)
Source: https://www.congluan.vn/ong-putin-noi-ukraine-tan-cong-kursk-nham-tao-loi-the-dam-phan-nhung-nga-khong-nhuong-bo-post307443.html
