Ukraine's border raid into Russia embarrassed and compromised Vladimir Putin. A week in, there seems to be no serious effort yet to dislodge the interlopers, who now occupy hundreds of square miles of the Kursk region. Ukraine's prime minister compared this Kursk to the sunk submarine of the same name—two disasters bracketing Putin's belligerent 24-year presidency of Russia.
Ukraine's stunning incursion has embarrassed the Kremlin and boosted morale but left many observers scratching their heads about what Kyiv might be hoping to achieve. Putin weighed in Monday, saying the assault aimed to improve Ukraine's hand in future peace talks, ease the pressure on its embattled forces fighting on the front lines and fuel discord inside Russia.
"It appears the enemy is trying to improve its negotiation positions," he said. Russia has been calling for peace talks in recent months but with the nonstarter condition that Kyiv cede vast territories Moscow annexed in 2022.
The assault is also aimed, he said, at stopping the advance of Russian forces in the east and south of Ukraine. "What are the results?" he said, sounding irate.
Russia's government has unlimited meat for the grinder, but it's still a gas station run by the mob and can never react to anything unexpected or even plan for the likely.
The White House: "there's an easy solution: He can just get the hell out of Ukraine and call it a day"
