On Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin remarked that Ukraine’s attempt to capture territory from Russia has ultimately strengthened his military’s progress. He coupled this assertion with a lighthearted suggestion of backing Vice President Kamala Harris in the forthcoming U.S. election.
Addressing an economic forum in Vladivostok, located in Russia’s far east, he emphasized that it is the “sacred duty” of the Russian armed forces to take all necessary measures to “expel the enemy” from the Kursk border region and safeguard its residents in the wake of last month’s surprising attack.
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However, Putin also stated that Moscow’s primary objective continues to be the acquisition of the Donbas region, which is Ukraine’s eastern industrial core and where Russian forces have been advancing for several months.
Putin explained that the objective of the Kursk operation was to induce a sense of “nervousness and unease” in Russia. This strategy aimed to compel Moscow to redeploy troops from crucial sections of the battlefield, thereby halting its progress, especially in the Donbas, which includes the adjacent Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
“Were they successful?” Putin asked rhetorically about Ukraine’s offensive. “No. The enemy has failed.”
According to him, the Russian military had effectively “stabilized the situation” and begun to steadily “push out” Ukrainian forces from border territories. He noted that in the Donbas, his troops were now making advances measured not in hundreds of meters, but in “square kilometers.”
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Putin’s buoyant demeanor mirrored Ukraine’s growing confidence regarding the situation on the battlefield, especially following a cross-border operation that shifted the dynamics against the Kremlin.
Kyiv asserts that it retains control over nearly 500 square miles of Russian territory and 100 settlements it has captured in that area. In an exclusive interview with NBC News earlier this week, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated his intention to hold onto this land for as long as necessary to bring the conflict to a close.
When questioned about the forthcoming U.S. election, Putin remarked that it is ultimately “the choice of the American people.” However, he asserted that Russia supports Harris, the Democratic candidate.
His playful comment came just under 24 hours after the Justice, State, and Treasury departments revealed sanctions and criminal charges in response to what the Biden administration described as efforts by the Russian government to influence U.S. public opinion ahead of the November election.
“I told you, our favorite, if I may say so, was the current president, Mr. Biden,” Putin said with a smirk on his face. “He was removed from the race, but he advised all his supporters to support Ms. Harris. So we will do it as well, we will root for her,” he said, to applause from the audience.
“Secondly, she has such an expressive and infectious laugh that it means she is doing well,” Putin said, speaking of Harris.