WASHINGTON, August 14. /TASS/. US President Joe Biden believes that Ukraine’s attack on the borderline Russian region of Kursk presents "a real dilemma" for the Russian government.
"I’ve spoken with my staff on a regular basis probably every four or five hours for the last six or eight days. And it’s creating a real dilemma for [Russian President Vladimir] Putin. And we’ve been in direct contact - constant contact with - with the Ukrainians. That’s all I’m going to say about it while it’s active," the White House press service quoted him as saying upon arrival in the state of Louisiana.
Earlier in the day, White House press pool journalists reported that Biden had described the Ukrainian attack on the Kursk Region as a "real dilemma," but did not specify that the American leader used these words while speaking about the Russian government.
Earlier, Pentagon spokesman Patrick Ryder said at a regular briefing that the United States administration continues to try to find out from the Kiev authorities the purpose of the Ukrainian attack on the borderline territory.
The Ukrainian armed forces attacked Russia’s Kursk Region on August 6. The attack killed 12 civilians, wounded 121 people, including 10 children. A total of 69 injured are in hospitals; the condition of 17 of them is assessed as serious. More than 120,000 people left or were evacuated from the border districts of Kursk Region.
According to the Defense Ministry, Kiev has lost up to 2,030 servicemen, 35 tanks and 31 armored personnel carriers since the beginning of hostilities in the Kursk area.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on August 12 that Ukraine will "certainly receive a worthy response" to the attack on the Kursk Region and that all of Russia's goals will be achieved.