Blinken says Ukraine position in Kursk ‘important’ for negotiations

U.S. Secretary of State Blinken emphasizes Ukraine's strategic position in Kursk amid ongoing negotiations with Russia.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Monday (January 6, 2025) that Ukraine’s position in Russia’s Kursk was critical to any future negotiations, as Moscow said Kyiv launched a counterattack in the border region.

Mr. Blinken said that the outgoing administration of President Joe Biden, which has given Kyiv billions of dollars in security assistance since Russia’s February 2022 invasion, wants to ensure that “Ukraine has the strongest possible hand to play”.

“Their position in Kursk is an important one because certainly, it’s something that would factor in any negotiation that may come about in the coming year,” Mr. Blinken told reporters in Seoul.

U.S. officials have said that they do not expect major shifts in the battle lines in eastern Ukraine, whose leadership last year instead launched a surprise offensive on Kursk.

President-elect Donald Trump has described U.S. assistance to Ukraine as wasteful and boasted of quickly ending the war, with his aides suggesting leveraging U.S. assistance to force territorial concessions to Russia.

Mr. Blinken said that even if negotiations take place, Ukraine would still need “adequate security assurances” against Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“There is going to be, at some point, a ceasefire. It’s not going to be in Putin’s mind ‘game over’,” Mr. Blinken said.