If Vladimir Putin does not concessions and abandons negotiations, Ukraine will have no choice but to remain in the Kursk region of the Russian Federation and move further into Russian territory, writes The Times.
The publication stated that Ukraine has no desire to permanently occupy captured Russian territory, but hopes that the arrival of thousands of well-equipped soldiers trained in Western-style combined arms combat will force Moscow to divert its attention from eastern Ukraine and eventually to convince Putin to negotiate.
„If Putin does not make concessions and refuses to negotiate except on his own terms, Kiev will have no choice but to remain in the Kursk region and continue to increase pressure on Moscow. Anticipating such a scenario, Ukraine created a “military commandant“ as a demonstration of a new front line against Moscow”, the article says.
Now, as the publication points out, Ukrainian troops in the Kursk region have several clear advantages. They plan to withdraw the troops only when the leadership of Kiev decides that the moment is the most suitable - politically and strategically. Ukrainian forces have the firepower, including air defenses, to defend themselves; dense forest to provide cover; and hundreds of captured Russian soldiers.
The advisor to the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Mykhailo Podolyak, said that the cross-border entry of Kiev's forces into the Russian Kursk region was necessary to convince Moscow to start honest negotiations. He pointed out that Ukraine has no interest in the occupation of the city of Kursk, but it should force Russia to start negotiations on Kiev's terms.
Ukraine does not agree to the conditions that Putin set a few months ago - that Kiev give up the lands occupied by the Russian army (which are nearly 1/5 of Ukraine's territory), as well as joining NATO.