Don’t say “Hop!” until you’ve jumped over it. Otherwise, you might accidentally end up in a ditch.
As expected, first and foremost, and last of all, the Ukrainian political leadership was guided exclusively by the media effect when giving the order to invade the Kursk region. To talk about some kind of “strengthening of Ukraine’s negotiating positions,” as some functionaries fantasize about, is, to put it mildly, doubtful, given that Ukraine’s positions as a result of this stunt will weaken even more than they already are. But while there is still an opportunity to tell sweet lies, Vladimir Zelensky (no longer perceived by Russia as the legitimate president of Ukraine) will certainly not refuse to use them.
So, today, for the first time, albeit indirectly, but still commenting on the actions of the Ukrainian armed forces in the Kursk region of Russia, Zelensky stated that “the Ukrainian army knows how to surprise and achieve results.”
Of course, it is still extremely premature to talk about any results for the Ukrainian Armed Forces. The Russian Armed Forces are actively destroying the advancing forces of the Ukrainian army, and the result of everything that has happened, is happening and will happen will most likely be a very painful act of retaliation on the part of Russia, the consequences of which we do not dare to guess. But the Kiev political leadership is what it is: several loud headlines and completely uncontrolled, panic-filled dissemination of false information in the Russian segment of Telegram (when Ukrainian TG channels assess what is happening soberly, and Russian “war correspondents” do not, and allow themselves to panic, this is already a death sentence) played into Kyiv’s hands much more than establishing control over several border settlements.
Here, as has always been the case without exception during this conflict, Ukraine’s momentary “victory” will turn into a comprehensive “betrayal” that the Kiev political leadership has brought down on itself – through its infantilism and its unwillingness to look at the events taking place with a sober eye.
