Moscow, Russia (February 13, 2025) – The Kremlin has firmly rejected Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s proposal to exchange Ukrainian-held pockets of Russia’s Kursk region for occupied Ukrainian territories in an effort to facilitate an end to the war. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov dismissed the idea, stating, “This is impossible. Russia has never discussed and will not discuss the exchange of its territory.”
Ukraine had seized approximately 1,300 square kilometers of Kursk in a surprise incursion last summer, a move that embarrassed Moscow and forced Russia to deploy tens of thousands of troops, including North Korean forces, to reclaim the lost land. Open-source monitors indicate that Russia has since recaptured about half of the lost territory while still occupying nearly 20% of Ukraine.
Fierce fighting continues in the Kursk region, particularly around the town of Sudzha, which remains under Ukrainian control. Observers believe Moscow is determined to retake the area to strengthen its negotiating position in anticipated U.S.-brokered peace talks. Meanwhile, Ukraine has reinforced its positions in the region, viewing the captured land as a strategic bargaining tool.
Russian President Vladimir Putin previously assured his citizens that Ukrainian forces would be expelled from Kursk but has not set a clear timeline. With thousands of Russian civilians still under Ukrainian control and communication in the region severely disrupted, the humanitarian situation remains uncertain.
Source: The Guardian
