Putin’s visit to occupied areas indicates things not going well for Russia – White House

The relevant statement was made by White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre at a briefing in Washington, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

“Mr. Putin’s visit seems like an indication that they know things aren’t going well for Russia,” Jean-Pierre said.

In her words, Putin seems to know that very clearly and is likely trying to shore up his own pulace, as he knows that the Russian army is “underperforming and struggling to achieve its objectives through this invasion”.

Jean-Pierre emphasized that Russia has no legitimate or legal claim to Ukraine’s sovereign territories.

“We’ve been very clear about that and we’ll continue to restate that. That’s why we will continue as well to support Ukraine, the Ukrainian government,” Jean-Pierre noted.

A reminder that, on April 18, 2023, Russian state media outlets reported that Putin had allegedly visited military headquarters in the Kherson direction and the so-called ‘LPR’. Meanwhile, experts have doubts about the authenticity of the materials provided.