Captured territories in the Kursk region are "critically important" for negotiations, according to Blinken.

He mentioned this to journalists during his visit to Seoul, reports Barron's, which cites Agence France-Presse.

Blinken believes that Ukraine will require "adequate security guarantees" during negotiations, as he stated that a ceasefire "will not mean the 'end of the game' in Putin's mind," because, according to him, he will rearm and attack again.

"Their positions in Kursk are significant, as they will certainly be taken into account in any negotiations that may occur in the coming year.", the Secretary of State said.

At the same time, he did not directly comment on the offensive of Ukrainian forces in the Kursk region, where, according to Andrey Kovalенко, head of the Center for Countering Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council, the Defense Forces attacked the Russians on several fronts.

Russian bloggers have also reported on the ongoing offensive by Ukrainian troops northeast of Sudzhi towards Bolshoy Soldatsky, as well as heavy fighting near the Berdin hamlet.

It is worth noting that earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that Ukraine plans to hold onto the territories captured by Russia for "an indefinite period" to compel Russian leader Vladimir Putin to sit at the negotiating table.