Ukraine could hold Russian territory as leveragepublished at 10:48 British Summer Time
James Waterhouse
Ukraine correspondent in the Sumy region
Image source, ReutersA Ukrainian soldier on patrol in the Russian town of Sudzha in Kursk
President Zelensky is suggesting he’s in this for the medium haul.
He has previously said he doesn’t want to permanently capture and occupy the Russian territory of Kursk, but clearly he wants to hold on to it, I think, for as long as this war rages on as a defensive buffer zone.
In time, this land will have a political value for any kind of future peace negotiation.
Perhaps it could be leveraged and exchanged for some of the land Russia has captured in Ukraine.
We are seeing Ukrainian forces continue to advance in the Kursk region, moving from village to village in small armoured vehicles. They’ve destroyed a second major bridge over the river Seym – with reports of a third damaged bridge emerging from Russia.
But whilst Ukraine is advancing here, Russia is also pushing forward in the eastern Donetsk region in Ukraine, concentrating men and machinery like a protruding spike.
Russia has had to redeploy thousands of troops. from Ukraine as well as Russia as well, but it’s still not enough to slow advances in the east.
Nevertheless, Ukraine is committed here in the Sumy region; there is no reverse gear for now.