RT quoted President Vladimir Putin as saying on September 2 that Ukraine's attack on Kursk province was aimed at stopping the advance of Russian forces in Donbass, but Kiev failed to achieve this goal.
Mr. Putin declared that Russia has made great strides in key areas of Donbass , progressing at a pace not seen in a long time.
President Putin said, "Russian armed forces are controlling territories not by 200, 300 meters but by square kilometers."
Mr. Putin noted that Kiev's provocation in the Kursk region is doomed to failure and Moscow will have a solution to those who have entered Russian territory with the aim of destabilizing the situation at the border.
President Putin said Kiev may realize the need to resolve the conflict through negotiations and reiterated that Moscow has never refused to hold such talks.
However, the Russian President noted that the Ukrainian leadership may not be interested in ending the fighting, as they will have to hold new presidential elections immediately after martial law in the country is lifted.
"It is clear that the current authorities are not ready for this, they have very little chance of being re-elected," Putin said. "That is why they are not interested in stopping the fighting, that is why they tried to carry out this provocation in the Kursk region and before that in the Belgorod region."
Meanwhile, Russia will continue to protect its people in Donbass, as well as "our common future, the future of Russia," the president said, adding that Moscow "cannot allow hostile structures to be created right next to us, which develop aggressive plans against our country and constantly try to destabilize the Russian Federation."
Early last month, Ukraine deployed thousands of troops to Russia's Kursk province, marking the largest cross-border offensive since the conflict broke out in 2022. The Russian Defense Ministry said that while Ukrainian forces initially captured some border areas, their advance was eventually halted.
