During an interview on CBS' Face the Nation on Aug. 18, U.S. Senator Mark Kelly said that Ukraine's incursion into Kursk Oblast could help Ukraine change the course of the war in the country's favor.
Referring to Ukraine's incursion into Kursk Oblast, Kelly said that he believes "the Ukrainians have done something unforeseeable that could really change the tide of how this conflict’s gonna play out," noting that over 130,000 Russians have been forced to evacuate regions near the border.
When asked if the Arizona Senator was "comfortable" with Ukraine using U.S.-provided weapons in Kursk Oblast, Kelly replied: "I am at this point."
"The Ukrainians were illegally attacked by (Russian President) Vladimir Putin... This incursion, and I’ll just, let’s characterize it that way for now. I don’t think the Ukrainians want to intentionally hold Russian territory for a long period of time, but this really set Putin back on his heels," Kelly said.
The Democratic Senator becomes the third U.S. Senator to publicly voice support for Ukraine's incursion into Kursk. U.S. Senators Lindsey Graham (R) and Richard Blumenthal (D) both voiced their support for Ukraine's incursion into Russia's Kursk Oblast during a visit to Kyiv on Aug. 12.
"What do I think about Kursk? Bold, brilliant, beautiful. Keep it up," Graham told reporters in Kyiv at the time. "Let these people fight. Give them weapons they need to win a war they cannot lose."
When asked on Sunday if Kelly was in favor of further lifting restriction on using U.S.-made weapons to strike military targets in Russia, the Senator said that he believe it was "appropriate to continue to look at what their (Ukraine's) needs are.”
CNN reported on Aug. 16, citing government officials, that the U.S. has thus far been reluctant to allow Ukraine to use its long-range weapons inside Kursk Oblast "not because of the risk of escalation, but because the U.S. only has a limited supply."
U.S. President Joe Biden said on Aug. 13 that Ukraine's incursion creates a "real dilemma for Putin," adding, "that's all I'm going to say about it (the incursion) while it's active."
The unprecedented Ukrainian operation hit its 10-day mark on Aug. 15, with Kyiv claiming to have seized 1,150 square kilometers of Russian territory and 82 settlements, including the town of Sudzha.
As Ukraine continues to make progress in the region, Ukrainian forces reportedly destroyed a second key bridge in Kursk Oblast on Aug. 18, further hindering Russia's ability to resupply troops hoping to fend off Ukraine's incursion.
Chris York
