Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has stated that Kyiv intends to hold onto captured Russian territory indefinitely to bring Russian President Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table.
In a recent interview, Zelenskyy explained, “We don’t need their land. We don’t want to bring our Ukrainian way of life there.” Ukraine aims to retain the Kursk region as part of its “victory plan” to end the ongoing war with Russia, which began in February 2022.
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Zelenskyy also mentioned that Ukraine is seeking an international partner, such as the United States, to help present this proposal. He emphasized, “For now, we need it.”
In a covert operation, Ukrainian forces captured part of Russia’s Kursk region, challenging the status quo of the conflict. Zelenskyy revealed that the strike was the first of its kind since World War II, aimed at preventing Russia from establishing a buffer zone along the Ukrainian border.
Ukraine has reported seizing 500 square miles of Russian territory and capturing hundreds of Russian soldiers. The U.S. had distanced itself from Ukraine’s incursion, and Zelenskyy confirmed that Washington was unaware of the plans. “Yes, we did not inform anyone. And it’s not the question of lack of trust,” he said, noting that an earlier counteroffensive had failed due to its extensive publicity, which allowed Russia to prepare.
Zelenskyy added that even Ukrainian intelligence services were unaware of the attack, which contributed to its success.
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