Ukrainian President Zelensky said in an interview with NBC News on Tuesday (September 3) that Kyiv plans to indefinitely detain the Russian territory that was suddenly attacked and occupied last month.
Zelensky emphasized the importance of “holding on” to the Russian territory of Kursk for his “victory plan” aimed at ending the war. He suggested keeping the seized Russian land, stating, “We currently need it.”
At the same time, Zelensky also mentioned, “We do not need their land, we do not want to bring our Ukrainian way of life there.”
Since the Ukrainian military launched a sudden attack on the Kursk region of western Russia on August 6, the war has been ongoing for nearly a month. Ukraine has occupied approximately 450 square miles of Russian territory, marking the first time a foreign military has occupied Russian land since World War II.
Since then, an estimated 180,000 Russians have evacuated from the Kursk region.
Zelensky told NBC News that the August 6 offensive was a “preemptive strike” to prevent the Russian military from establishing a buffer zone along the Ukrainian border.
Regarding the military action plan of Kyiv crossing into Russia, President Zelensky revealed that the Biden administration was not informed in advance, not due to “lack of trust” but to prevent the Russians from having time to prepare. He said, “I limited the number of people briefed on this operation to the maximum extent, and I believe this is one of the reasons for the success of this operation.”
Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief Syrskyi stated that the successful attack forced Russia to transfer some of its forces from eastern Ukraine to the Kursk region, with an estimated 30,000 Russian troops being moved.
Currently, while Kyiv has made progress in the Kursk region, Russia’s offensive in eastern Ukraine continues. Moscow’s forces are advancing in the Donetsk region and getting closer to the crucial logistics hub of Pokrovsk.
Zelensky mentioned on Tuesday that Russian forces launched a missile attack on a city in central Ukraine on the same day, hitting a military school and resulting in a tragedy with at least 41 deaths and 180 injuries. This airstrike is one of the deadliest single attacks by the Russian army on Ukraine since the outbreak of the conflict two and a half years ago.
Zelensky was quoted by Reuters as saying, “The Russian scum must be held accountable for this attack.”
Meanwhile, the U.S. government is nearing an agreement to provide Ukraine with the Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM) that President Zelensky has long requested. The JASSM missile, developed by Lockheed Martin, is known for its long range, allowing Ukrainian forces to easily target objectives within approximately 300 to 500 kilometers inside and outside the Russian border.
According to a report by Reuters, U.S. officials stated that an agreement was close to being reached to provide Ukraine with this long-range cruise missile capable of penetrating deep into Russian territory, significantly altering the strategic landscape of the conflict between Ukraine and Russia.
Zelensky stated last week that he plans to submit a peace plan to President Biden, current Democratic vice-presidential candidate Harris, and former President Trump.
He outlined that the peace plan is divided into four phases, with the first phase being the incursion into the Russian Kursk region, which has been completed.
Zelensky said he plans to attend the United Nations General Assembly in September in New York, where he will meet with Biden to introduce the plan. He added that given the uncertainty of the 2024 presidential election winner, he will also engage with Harris and Trump separately.
On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, marking one of the largest wars on the European continent since World War II. The conflict has been ongoing for two and a half years.
(Reference: Congressional Mountain News)