last week, Ukraine launched a surprise attack into Russia's Kursk region, catching Russian forces off guard and forcing Russian President Vladimir Putin to divert some troops from Ukraine.
After months of relentless Russian assaults on Ukrainian territory, it seemed as if Ukraine would be condemned to a slow and merciless retreat in eastern Ukraine.
But the new push into Kursk will serve as a timely reminder to international allies that the war's outcome is not a foregone conclusion.
This is particularly important ahead of the upcoming US elections, which Ukraine is acutely aware of, Hamilton said.
Should Trump win, there is a serious threat that he would cut military aid to Ukraine, with the former president saying in June that he would immediately "have that settled."
The ability to maintain momentum depends on the continued replenishment of its forces, something that remains uncertain, Hamilton added.
Kyiv is, therefore, likely trying to put itself in the best possible position should it have to enter negotiations with Russia.
"Politically, the purpose of the operation is to build leverage ahead of possible negotiations," Jack Watling, a senior research fellow for Land Warfare at the Royal United Services Institute, wrote in the Guardian.
"The Ukrainian government wants to make sure that if it has to enter that process, it has things that Russia wants to trade for concessions," he added. "The Ukrainian military, therefore, must take and hold a sizeable chunk of Russian land for the duration of potential negotiations."
Yahoo news
https://www.yahoo.com/news/ukraines-kursk-counteroffensive-defied-nato-160813109.html
