How to make the most of the Kursk gambit

Ukraine’s bold incursion into Russia’s Kursk region gives the country a much-needed breakthrough on the battlefield and represents yet another setback for the Kremlin. Yet the operation is not a military game-changer. Even as Ukrainian forces have occupied more than 1,000 square kilometers (400 square miles) of Russia, the Russian military has been making significant advances along the front line in Ukraine’s Donbas region and pummeling the country from the air.

Neither Russia nor Ukraine is in a position to achieve an absolute military victory; this war will be concluded at the negotiating table, not on the battlefield. It is at the negotiating table that Ukraine’s push into Kursk may well end up working to its advantage. By successfully demonstrating that it can take the fight to Russian territory, Ukraine has strengthened its hand in future negotiations.



The United States and its allies should now work with Ukraine to put this newfound leverage to good use by charting a course toward a cease-fire and diplomatic endgame..