UJ
—
President Vladimir Putin unexpectedly visited the Russian-occupied Kursk region on Wednesday as the Kremlin contemplates a US proposal for a 30-day ceasefire, coinciding with his troops advancing toward Ukraine’s critical territorial asset.
Dressed in military attire during a broadcast by Russian state television, Putin addressed frontline soldiers, asserting Moscow’s aim to “fully liberate” Kursk rapidly, marking his first visit to the western area since Ukraine’s surprise incursion there last year.
The meticulously planned visit seemed intended to uplift spirits within the ranks as Russian forces close in on the last Ukrainian strongholds in Russia, just a day after US and Ukrainian officials held peace talks, resulting in Kyiv’s acceptance of a comprehensive 30-day US-supported ceasefire.
Russia’s rapid advancement in Kursk poses a threat to Kyiv’s singular territorial leverage during this crucial juncture of the conflict, with a possible ceasefire hanging in the balance.
US President Donald Trump commented on Wednesday that the situation is now under Putin’s control as US representatives are currently en route to Russia to discuss the ceasefire initiative.
“We’ll have to wait and see. It’s up to Russia now,” Trump stated to reporters in the Oval Office while refraining from revealing whether he has a meeting planned with the Russian leader.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov reported on Wednesday that Putin is “carefully studying” the ceasefire proposal as Moscow awaits further briefings from US officials in the upcoming days.
Later, footage from Russian state media showed Putin conferring with his chief general Valery Gerasimov in Kursk before addressing soldiers, urging them to eliminate the remaining Ukrainian presence in the region and discussing the potential creation of a “buffer zone” along Russia’s border with Ukraine.
Putin further noted that Ukrainian soldiers captured in Kursk should be regarded as “terrorists.”
Ukraine’s surprise offensive into Kursk began in August, rapidly seizing territory in the first ground invasion of Russia by a foreign entity since World War II. The campaign aimed not only to reclaim land for potential exchange for Russian-occupied areas, but also to distract Moscow’s resources from the eastern frontlines.
However, Ukraine has faced difficulties maintaining its hold on the seized territories, with its control over the region declining rapidly in recent days.
On Wednesday, Gerasimov claimed that Russian forces had regained over 86% of the territory initially captured by Ukraine, asserting that 430 Ukrainian soldiers had surrendered and that the remaining forces were encircled.
Gerasimov stated that Kyiv’s aspirations of leveraging Kursk in negotiations had “completely collapsed.”
Peskov indicated on Thursday that the operation to eradicate the remaining Ukrainian soldiers has reached its concluding phase, according to the state news agency TASS.
The Ukrainian military has acknowledged losing ground in several areas within Kursk to Russian forces in the recent days.
On Wednesday, Ukraine’s chief general Oleksandr Syrskyi hinted at possible tactical withdrawals to “more advantageous positions,” emphasizing that his primary goal is to “preserve the lives of Ukrainian soldiers.”
Syrskyi added that Russia had conducted airstrikes on its territory, including the town of Sudzha, which was “almost entirely destroyed.”
Trump’s Special Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff is slated to journey to Russia later this week, although it remains uncertain whether he will arrange a meeting with Putin, with whom he previously met last month.
Vice President JD Vance, while speaking in the Oval Office, mentioned that discussions are occurring “over the phone and in person with some of our representatives in the coming days.”
Bengali (Bangladesh) · 
English (United States) ·