Photo:Viacheslav Ratynskyi/ Reuters
Ukraine is reaping substantial political benefits from its military offensive in western Russia, but this does not alter the West’s cautious stance on escalation, said Polish Interior Minister Tomasz Siemoniak. Despite Ukraine’s battlefield successes garnering support, Western nations continue to impose restrictions on the use of supplied weaponry, according to Reuters.
Since early August, Ukraine claims to have taken control of over 80 settlements across 1,150 square kilometers in Russia’s Kursk region, marking the largest incursion on Russian soil since World War II. However, Reuters could not independently verify these developments.
“This offensive does not change the West’s anti-escalation stance,” Siemoniak said when asked whether Kyiv’s military victories might shift its allies’ positions on the use of Western-supplied weapons against Russia.
Western governments, which have provided military aid to Ukraine since Russia’s invasion in February 2022, have so far refrained from allowing Ukraine to use long-range weapons due to the perceived risk of escalating the conflict. Nonetheless, Siemoniak emphasized that the political gains for Kyiv have been significant in less than two weeks, reshaping Ukraine’s image on the global stage.
The U.S. currently views Ukraine’s incursion into the Kursk region as a justifiable action within its defensive operations. However, Washington has expressed concerns about potential complications as Ukrainian forces push deeper into Russian territory.
Poland remains one of Ukraine’s most steadfast allies. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk echoed Washington’s stance earlier this week, stating that Ukraine has every right to respond to the war in a way that cripples Russia’s capabilities.
A senior Ukrainian official said on Friday that Kyiv’s cross-border incursion into Russia’s Kursk region was necessary to pressure Moscow into serious peace negotiations.
Russia has condemned Ukraine’s invasion as a major provocation and vowed a “proportionate response.”
The United States and other Western nations, keen to avoid direct military confrontation with Russia, stated that Ukraine did not notify them in advance of the offensive and that Washington was not involved, underscoring their cautious approach.
