U.S. discussing with Ukraine long-term goals of Kursk raid – Pentagon

Pentagon spokesman General Patrick Ryder noted this at a briefing on Tuesday, an Ukrinform correspondent saw.

"We're continuing to have the discussions with the Ukrainians in terms of their focus," Ryder said.

President Vodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine earlier said the raid aimed at creating a buffer zone, the spokesman recalled. "So we're having those conversations to learn more about what their objectives are," he added.

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The general emphasized once again that the U.S. "remains focused on giving Ukraine the portunity to be a free and sovereign country capable of deterring Russian aggression in the future.”

According to the Pentagon spokesman, “there should be no question that the United States supports Ukraine and its fight for freedom” to help the nation preserve its sovereignty and deter future Russian aggression, he explained.

As for the raid in Kursk region, Ukraine’s forces “clearly have compelled the Russians to struggle in their response”, Ryder noted. “It has certainly demonstrated the creativity and the battlefield prowess of the Ukrainians. But when it comes to what their longer-term objectives are here, that's something that we're still discussing with them."

Ryder confirmed that Russia has moved a small number of tros into Kursk region to respond to the incursion.

The Pentagon spokesman reiterated the fact that the picy of using U.S. long-range capabilities for strikes deep inside Russia has not changed. At the same time, he added that he would not go into the details of Ukraine's choice of capabilities when running their erations.

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The spokesman recalled that on Monday, the U.S. and Ukrainian defense chiefs, Lloyd Austin and Rustem Umerov, discussed in a phone call the latest battlefield develments, training of the Ukrainian military, and preparations for the meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, set to be held in September.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, Umerov and Austin on Monday discussed Ukraine’s ongoing military erations.