I HAD devoted 13 of my columns to the Russo-Ukraine war starting the week of Feb. 24, 2022, when Russian Premier Putin made his move and invaded Ukraine. This 14th article is precipitated by the invasion by Ukraine of Russian territory. On Aug. 6, 2024, Ukraine's army entered the Kursk region, capturing dozens of settlements in the biggest offensive by a foreign army on Russian soil since Hitler's Operation Barbarossa in June 1941 — 83 years ago. Zelenskyy's ostensible strategy is to create a buffer zone around the 1,000 square kilometer occupied territory to prevent Russian cross-border strikes and daily hostile shelling of Ukraine's civilian population. This invasion was a long time in coming and "tit-for-tat" for Russia's occupation of Ukraine's Donbas region.

NATO and even Putin himself believe that the recent Ukrainian sortie improves Zelenskyy's negotiating position for the coming ceasefire talks, if ever, the Donbas region and Crimea in exchange for the Kursk Oblast. Both sides need a respite from this war, time to lick their wounds and regroup before resuming the conflict at some future date.

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