Russia’s president, Vladimir V. Putin, wearing fatigues, visited a command publish close to the entrance in Kursk late Wednesday to cheer on his navy’s ejection of Ukrainian forces from a lot of the territory they’d been occupying within the Russian border area.
The Russian chief’s pointed go to got here a day after a U.S. delegation met in Saudi Arabia with Ukrainian officers, who agreed to a 30-day cease-fire within the conflict. American officers deliberate to take the proposal to Mr. Putin, who has beforehand mentioned he’s not keen on a brief truce.
Wearing a inexperienced camouflage uniform, Mr. Putin sat at a desk with maps unfold out in entrance of him, in keeping with images launched by the Kremlin. He appeared with Russia’s high navy officer, Gen. Valery V. Gerasimov.
In video footage launched by Russian state media, Mr. Putin praised the Russian navy formations that had taken again a lot of the territory captured by Ukraine within the Kursk area. He referred to as on the troops to grab the territory for good from Ukrainian forces, who’ve been occupying parts of the Russian border area since final summer time. Kyiv had hoped to make use of the territory as a bargaining chip in peace talks.
The Russian chief additionally demanded that Ukrainian forces taken prisoner within the area be handled and prosecuted as terrorists beneath Russian legislation. Basic Gerasimov mentioned greater than 400 Ukrainian troops had been captured within the operations.
“People who find themselves on the territory of the Kursk area, committing crimes right here towards the civilian inhabitants and opposing our armed forces, legislation enforcement businesses and particular companies, in accordance with the legal guidelines of the Russian Federation, are terrorists,” Mr. Putin mentioned.
He added that “international mercenaries” don’t fall beneath the Geneva Conference governing the therapy of prisoners of conflict. The battle, which started with Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, has drawn international fighters. This month, Russia sentenced a 22-year-old British man who had volunteered for the Ukrainian Military to 19 years in jail on terrorism and mercenary fees, after his seize within the Kursk area final yr.
Russian forces stepped up an offensive to push Ukrainian troops out of the area this week, as Kyiv reeled from the Trump administration’s determination final week to freeze U.S. intelligence and navy help to Ukraine after an explosive confrontation within the Oval Workplace between President Trump and President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine.
After talks on Tuesday with Ukrainian officers in Saudi Arabia, the Trump administration introduced that it might resume the help.
By then, Russian forces have been already nicely on their option to taking again Sudzha, the primary inhabitants heart within the Kursk area that was captured by Ukraine final yr.
For months, Ukraine’s occupation of Russian territory has been a sore level for Moscow, which bolstered its forces with North Korean troopers in an try to take again the land.
Russian officers boasted of a breakthrough assault in Kursk final Saturday, when, they mentioned, some 800 fighters traveled about 10 miles by way of a disused gasoline pipeline to hold out a shock assault on the Ukrainian rear.
On Wednesday, Ukraine’s high navy commander, Gen. Oleksandr Syrsky, mentioned in a press release that Ukrainian forces have been shifting to “extra advantageous positions” if needed and would “maintain the road within the Kursk area for so long as it stays cheap and needed.” He added, “In essentially the most tough conditions, my precedence has been and stays the preservation of Ukrainian troopers’ lives.”
Mr. Putin has mentioned that any momentary cease-fire or truce will solely present a bonus to Ukrainian forces, who’re on the again foot on the battlefield and will use the reprieve to replenish personnel.
Russia has demanded a broader safety settlement backed by the West, together with a assure that Ukraine is not going to be admitted to the NATO navy alliance, in addition to different commitments that danger eroding Ukraine’s sovereignty.
“We don’t want a truce,” Mr. Putin mentioned throughout his annual information briefing in December. “We want peace: a long-term and lasting peace with ensures for the Russian Federation and its residents.”
Marc Santora contributed reporting from Kyiv, Ukraine.
