Putin visited Kursk, Trump threatened Russia with financial measures
World
Russian President Vladimir Putin has visited the Kursk region for the first time since Ukraine launched a surprise attack in August 2024, partially occupying the area. The Russian president expressed hope that his army was on the brink of “fully liberating” Kursk. In the past five days, the Russian army announced the recapture of 24 settlements.
Minutes after Putin’s statement, Ukraine’s army commander-in-chief, General Oleksandr Syrskyi, reported that his troops were retreating to minimize losses. “My top priority has been and remains saving the lives of Ukrainian soldiers,” he wrote.
Syrskyi stated that Russian forces were suffering massive personnel and equipment losses while trying to achieve “political goals” by advancing from the Kursk region toward Sumy and Kharkiv. Sudzha, the largest settlement captured by Ukrainian troops in Kursk, is no longer fully under Kyiv’s control, according to the Deep State mapping project.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Kyiv was doing “everything possible” to protect its soldiers. “The Russians are clearly trying to put maximum pressure on our troops, and our military command is taking necessary actions,” he told a press conference in Kyiv.
U.S. President Donald Trump stated that he could impose financial pressure on Russia if Moscow refused to support a 30-day ceasefire agreed upon by Ukrainian and U.S. delegations at a meeting in Saudi Arabia. Washington, Kyiv, and Europe are waiting for the Kremlin’s response, and U.S. diplomats are expected to hold talks with Putin by the end of the week.
“If Putin refuses, I could take financial measures that would be very bad for Russia,” Trump said. Zelensky, in turn, said he expected strong measures from Washington. “We are talking about sanctions against Russia and strengthening aid to Ukraine,” he said.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that Washington wanted Moscow to agree to the ceasefire unconditionally. “That’s what we want to know—if they are prepared to do it with no conditions. If the answer is yes, then we’ve made real progress, and there’s a real chance for peace. If the answer is no, it will make their intentions clear,” he said while en route to a G7 meeting in Canada.
Amid U.S. threats, French Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu told a press conference in Paris that a ceasefire announcement could come as soon as Thursday and that Europe must be prepared to help enforce it.
Defense ministers from five major European military powers—the UK, Germany, Italy, Poland, and France—met in Paris to discuss forming a “security force” that would guarantee peace in Ukraine if an agreement were reached. Lecornu stated that 15 countries were willing to contribute up to 30,000 personnel to permanently secure Ukraine’s airports, ports, and infrastructure
Syrskyi stated that Russian forces were suffering massive personnel and equipment losses while trying to achieve “political goals” by advancing from the Kursk region toward Sumy and Kharkiv. Sudzha, the largest settlement captured by Ukrainian troops in Kursk, is no longer fully under Kyiv’s control, according to the Deep State mapping project.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Kyiv was doing “everything possible” to protect its soldiers. “The Russians are clearly trying to put maximum pressure on our troops, and our military command is taking necessary actions,” he told a press conference in Kyiv.
U.S. President Donald Trump stated that he could impose financial pressure on Russia if Moscow refused to support a 30-day ceasefire agreed upon by Ukrainian and U.S. delegations at a meeting in Saudi Arabia. Washington, Kyiv, and Europe are waiting for the Kremlin’s response, and U.S. diplomats are expected to hold talks with Putin by the end of the week.
“If Putin refuses, I could take financial measures that would be very bad for Russia,” Trump said. Zelensky, in turn, said he expected strong measures from Washington. “We are talking about sanctions against Russia and strengthening aid to Ukraine,” he said.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that Washington wanted Moscow to agree to the ceasefire unconditionally. “That’s what we want to know—if they are prepared to do it with no conditions. If the answer is yes, then we’ve made real progress, and there’s a real chance for peace. If the answer is no, it will make their intentions clear,” he said while en route to a G7 meeting in Canada.
Amid U.S. threats, French Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu told a press conference in Paris that a ceasefire announcement could come as soon as Thursday and that Europe must be prepared to help enforce it.
Defense ministers from five major European military powers—the UK, Germany, Italy, Poland, and France—met in Paris to discuss forming a “security force” that would guarantee peace in Ukraine if an agreement were reached. Lecornu stated that 15 countries were willing to contribute up to 30,000 personnel to permanently secure Ukraine’s airports, ports, and infrastructure
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