President Vladimir Putin unexpectedly visited the Kursk region, which is under Russian control, on Wednesday. This visit comes as the Kremlin evaluates a US proposal for a 30-day ceasefire, coinciding with Russian troops advancing on Ukraine’s only remaining territorial leverage.
Dressed in military attire during a broadcast by Russian state television, Putin addressed frontline soldiers, stating that Moscow aims to “completely liberate” Kursk as swiftly as possible. This marks his first visit to the western region since Ukraine’s surprising incursion there last year.
The meticulously planned visit seems intended to uplift the spirits of Russian forces as they close in on the last Ukrainian holdouts within Russia. This follows a day after peace discussions between US and Ukrainian officials led to Kyiv agreeing to a 30-day ceasefire supported by the US, which would encompass the entire frontline.
Russia’s rapid progress in Kursk poses a significant threat to Kyiv’s only territorial bargaining chip at a critical juncture in the conflict, where the possibility of a ceasefire is uncertain.
US President Donald Trump remarked on Wednesday that the decision now rests with Putin, as US representatives are currently en route to Russia to discuss the ceasefire proposal.
“We’ll have to wait and see. It’s up to Russia now,” Trump stated to reporters in the Oval Office, refraining from commenting on whether he has a meeting planned with the Russian president.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov informed reporters on Wednesday that President Putin is “carefully studying” the proposal, while Moscow anticipates a briefing from US officials in the upcoming days.
Shortly thereafter, Russian state media released footage of Putin meeting with his chief general, Valery Gerasimov, in Kursk. Following this meeting, Putin addressed soldiers, urging them to eliminate the remaining Ukrainian forces in the area and suggesting the establishment of a “buffer zone” along the border with Ukraine.
Putin further stated that Ukrainian soldiers captured in Kursk should be regarded as “terrorists.”
In August, Ukraine initiated a surprising incursion into Kursk, quickly seizing territory in what marked the first ground invasion of Russia by a foreign nation since World War II. This operation not only aimed to capture land that could potentially be exchanged for Russian-occupied areas but also sought to divert Moscow’s military resources from the eastern front.
However, Ukraine has faced challenges in maintaining control over the territory it has seized, with its hold on the region significantly weakening in recent days.
On Wednesday, Gerasimov asserted that Russian forces had regained over 86% of the territory previously taken by Ukraine, reported that 430 Ukrainian soldiers had been captured, and indicated that the remaining Ukrainian troops were encircled.
Gerasimov stated that Kyiv’s aspirations to leverage Kursk as a negotiation tool have “completely failed.”
On Thursday, Peskov announced that the operation to eliminate the remaining Ukrainian forces has reached its concluding phase, according to the state news agency TASS.
The Ukrainian military has acknowledged being pushed out of several locations in Kursk by Russian troops in recent days.
On Wednesday, Ukraine’s chief general, Oleksandr Syrskyi, suggested the possibility of additional tactical withdrawals to “more advantageous positions,” emphasizing that his main concern is to “protect the lives of Ukrainian soldiers.”
Syrskyi also reported that Russia had conducted airstrikes on its own territory, including the town of Sudzha, which has been “nearly entirely destroyed.”
Steve Witkoff, Trump’s Special Middle East envoy, is anticipated to visit Russia later this week, although it remains uncertain if he will meet with Putin, whom he met last month.
Vice President JD Vance, while speaking in the Oval Office, mentioned that discussions are taking place “over the phone and in person with some of our representatives in the coming days.”
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