Ukraine kept Kursk operation ‘secret’ – Scholz

Berlin was not told of Kiev’s offensive in advance, the German chancellor has said

The Ukrainian government did not consult with Germany before launching its incursion into Russia’s Kursk Region, Chancellor Olaf Scholz has told reporters.

Several thousand troops crossed the Russian border earlier this month, in a move that Moscow has described as “an act of terrorism.” Russia has responded with intense air and artillery strikes against the invaders.

“Ukraine prepared its military operation in Kursk Region very secretly and without any feedback, which is certainly due to the situation,” Scholz said at a press conference in Moldova. 

He would not say whether Germany has allowed Ukraine to use its donated weapons in the cross-border incursion, saying only Berlin was “closely monitoring” the situation.

“This is a very limited operation in terms of space and probably also time,” Scholz added. “But at this point in time, we should not comment on it further. We can certainly evaluate everything when enough time has passed.”

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Moscow accuses three NATO states of enabling Kiev’s Kursk incursion

Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky has told reporters that Kiev did not disclose the preparations for its Kursk offensive because its Western backers might have tried to stop it as crossing Russia’s “red lines.” He argued that the incursion has proven that such lines do not actually exist and urged the US and its allies to give more money and weapons to Kiev.

Russia has summoned the US envoy to explain the alleged role of American contractors in the Ukrainian incursion, as well as an American journalist, whom Moscow accused of providing “propaganda coverage” for Kiev. On Wednesday, the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) said that the US, Britain and Poland had helped to train the Ukrainian units involved in the ongoing operation. 

Scholz did comment on German media reports over the weekend that Berlin would stop funding Kiev, vowing to continue backing Ukraine’s war effort.

“We will support Ukraine for as long as it is necessary. And we will be Ukraine’s biggest national supporter in Europe. Only the US does more as a major world power,” he said.