Only Syria condemned Ukraine's Kursk operation among all countries 'friendly' to Russia
Syria condemned Ukraine's Kursk operation (photo: Getty Images)
It has been 10 days since the start of the Ukrainian Armed Forces' operation in Kursk region. However, almost none of the countries that Moscow considers “friendly” has yet condemned the first invasion of Russian territory by a foreign state in modern history.
Syria is an exception, where Russian troops helped Bashar al-Assad retain power and possibly his life. In particular, a statement by the country's Foreign Ministry on August 10 said that “the Syrian Arab Republic is following with great concern the news of the terrorist attack by Ukrainian forces on the Kursk region of the Russian Federation.” The statement said it was aimed at allegedly civilian targets.
Meanwhile, the Chinese Foreign Ministry, answering journalists' questions about the situation in the Kursk region, said that Beijing “paid attention to the situation”. They added that China's position on the Ukrainian issue is consistent and clear. Chinese diplomats call on all parties to adhere to the principles of the so-called “cooling” of the situation, namely
- the fighting should not spread outward;
- no escalation of the armed conflict should be allowed;
- not to provoke an increase in fire.
In turn, self-proclaimed President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko, in an interview with a Russian TV channel on August 15, called on Russia and Ukraine to “end the fight” and sit down at the negotiating table. According to him, only “high-ranking officials of American origin” need a war in Ukraine. At the same time, he said that Russia, in accordance with the agreements, would send its troops to provide military support in case of aggression against Belarus.
According to The Moscow Times, the CSTO countries also did not condemn the actions of the Armed Forces. On August 16, the organization's website said that “the CSTO analytical service is working around the clock and closely monitoring the situation.” The organization only promised that it would implement all necessary procedures in a timely manner in the event of Russia's request for military assistance.
Ukrainian Armed Forces operation in Kursk region
The Armed Forces of Ukraine began a large-scale military operation in the Kursk region of Russia on Tuesday, August 6.
On August 9, a counter-terrorist operation (CTO) was introduced in the Belgorod, Bryansk and Kursk regions of the Russian Federation.
As of August 15, according to Ukrainian Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi, 82 settlements on an area of 1,150 square kilometers are under Ukrainian control. The Ukrainian Armed Forces advanced 35 kilometers into Russian territory.
