Reuters. Ukraine's military incursion into Russia had "created a real dilemma" for Russian President Vladimir Putin, U.S. President Joe Biden said on Tuesday (August 13), adding that U.S. officials are in constant touch with the Ukrainians about the move.
A week after about 1,000 Ukrainian troops rammed through the Russian border in the early hours of Aug. 6 with tanks and armored vehicles, U.S. officials say they are still seeking to learn what Ukraine wants to achieve with its incursion.
Answering questions from reporters upon arrival in New Orleans, Biden said he has been briefed every four to five hours for the last six to eight days on Ukraine's action.
"It's creating a real dilemma for Putin," he said in his first substantive comments about the operation, which appeared to have caught the Russians off guard.
The U.S. has provided billions of dollars of weaponry to Ukraine intended largely for defensive purposes, as the Ukrainians try to repel Russia's February 2022 invasion.
EU Foreign Policy chief Josep Borrell said he discussed with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba the last developments on the frontline and the Kursk counteroffensive.
“I reiterated the EU full support to the UA people’s fight. Putin hasn’t managed to break Ukraine’s resistance against his unjustified invasion and is pushed now to withdraw inside Russian territory”, Borrell said in post on X.
