WASHINGTON, August 26. /TASS/. Western support for the Ukrainian military’s incursion into Russia’s Kursk Region will make it difficult to negotiate a settlement of the crisis, Colonel Richard Black, retired, a former member of the Senate of the legislative assembly of the US state of Virginia, has told TASS.

"Moscow is understandably skeptical of Western intentions," the expert emphasized, recalling that the promise to Russia "not to advance NATO one inch eastward" was broken.

"War came to Ukraine because of NATO's expressed intention to expand its limits to within momentary nuclear striking distance of Moscow. Russia reacted to that threat precisely as the US did during the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962," Black recalled.

As the former US lawmaker noted, the Russian leadership since 2008 "tried desperately to fend off a war that had become increasingly unavoidable." At the same time, according to the expert, "instead of fostering peace," the pause was used by the West to create a powerful army in Ukraine "with which to attack the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics."

"I could go on, but my point is that Russia has been double-crossed so often that soothing words mean little today. Russia is likely to demand hard assurances when peace talks begin. There is little room left for goodwill," Black believes.

"NATO provided the equipment, intelligence, and mercenaries to penetrate Russia. So, yes. NATO's support for the attack on Russia will make peace negotiations more difficult," he concluded.

Ukraine’s massive attack on the Kursk Region began on August 6. A federal scale state of emergency is in effect in this territory. Missile alerts have been repeatedly declared. Residents of border areas are being evacuated to safety. According to the Emergencies Ministry, there are 197 temporary accommodation centers in 28 regions. More than 11,500 people, including more than 3,500 children, are staying there.

According to the Russian Defense Ministry, Kiev has lost more than 5,800 troops and 72 tanks since the beginning of hostilities in the Kursk Region. The operation to wipe out the Ukrainian incursion is in progress.