Russia will not start negotiations until it expels the Ukrainian Armed Forces from Kursk region — WP

Russia will not start negotiations with Kiev until it liberates the Kursk region from the Ukrainian Armed Forces. It is reported by The Washington Post.

After a surprise invasion across the border in August, Ukraine, despite losing about half of its initial gains, still retains a foothold in the Kursk region. Last week, according to the Ukrainian military and analysts, the Russian Armed Forces launched a new counteroffensive here, flooding the front line with thousands of soldiers. According to American intelligence estimates, at least 10 thousand North Koreans have been sent to the region. The new one was ruthless and began after Donald Trump, who promised to end the war "in a day," was elected president of the United States, the newspaper writes.

The timing seems to demonstrate the Kremlin's growing understanding of what role Kursk can play in future negotiations: if negotiations take place, Russia wants to make sure that only Ukrainian land will be the subject of discussion, the article says.

"It is clear that Moscow will not start any negotiations until it expels all Ukrainian soldiers from Kursk," Konstantin Remchukov, editor—in-chief of Nezavisimaya Gazeta, told The Washington Post.

According to Remchukov, Russian President Vladimir Putin does not want Kursk to be used as a bargaining chip, and also does not want to be forced to give up any of the occupied Ukrainian territories that he seized after the invasion of Russia. Putin's recent statements that any deal should reflect the realities on the ground relate to the intention to return Kursk, the source said.

Russian military blogger Mikhail Zvinchuk, founder of the Rybar telegram channel, in turn, said that Trump might try to put pressure on Moscow in connection with Ukraine's occupation of the Kursk region, but Zvinchuk expects that she will be released in the coming weeks or months.

"I believe that in any case, the Kursk issue will be resolved before Trump's inauguration," the blogger said.

The Ukrainian Armed Forces seized from 386 square miles to 579 square miles of territory in the Kursk region in the first two weeks of the operation in August, said Pasi Paroinen, an analyst at Black Bird Group, an open source analysis group based in Helsinki. Since then, Russia has been constantly counterattacking. Taking into account the fact that there is now an offensive from three directions, the analyst predicted that in the coming days the territory held by Ukraine will be further reduced.