Russia Ukraine war, page-233914

https://www.straitstimes.com/world/europe/ukraine-s-kursk-assault-severe-blow-to-russia-s-putin-says-eu-s-borrell
Ukraine’s Kursk assault ‘severe blow’ to Russia’s Putin, says EU’s Borrell

BRUSSELS – The European Union’s top diplomat Josep Borrell on Aug 21 said Ukraine’s Kursk counter-offensive had dealt a “severe blow” to President Vladimir Putin’s war narrative and called for a lifting of restrictions on Kyiv using Western-supplied weapons inside Russia.

Mr Borrell’s comments came two days after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reiterated his plea for partner countries to let it use long-range weapons deep inside Russia – in order to halt Moscow’s advance in eastern Ukraine.

Writing on X after speaking with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, Mr Borrell called the Kursk offensive “a severe blow to Russian President Putin’s narrative”.

He went on to argue for “lifting restrictions on the use of capabilities versus the Russian military involved in aggression against Ukraine, in accordance with international law”.

The EU foreign policy chief argued that such a shift would “strengthen Ukrainian self-defence by ending Russia’s sanctuary for its attacks” as well as safe lives and advance peace efforts.

Mr Borrell said the matter would be on the agenda for discussions during back-to-back meetings of EU foreign and defence ministers taking place on Aug 29 and 30 in Brussels, in the presence of Mr Kuleba.

Kyiv, 2½ years into the war, seized back the initiative by sending troops into Russia’s western Kursk region on Aug 6 – claiming to have captured dozens of settlements and sending thousands fleeing.

But the epicentre of the conflict remains eastern Ukraine, where Russia’s better-equipped army continues to advance – capturing several towns and villages in recent days even as Moscow fights off the Kursk counter-attack. AFP