Ukrainian leadership is unlikely to intend to hold onto captured Russian territory for a long period, but this operation could indeed cause discontent among Russians with Putin's actions, said Democratic Senator Mark Kelly on CBS News.
"I don't think the Ukrainians want to intentionally hold Russian territory for an extended period, but it has certainly set Putin back. He has always tried to portray himself as someone who will defend Russia. I think his citizens see the results of what he's done in Ukraine, and now they are somewhat under threat," the senator said.
He emphasized,
"130,000 Russians have been forced to leave their homes, and at this stage of the conflict, I think the Ukrainians have done something unpredictable that could really change the course of this conflict."
Regarding the possibility of lifting restrictions on the use of American weapons, the senator reminded that some restrictions have already been lifted, and the United States periodically reassesses its views on how Ukrainians use security assistance.
"I think it's appropriate to continue looking at what their needs are. How can we make adjustments? What new weapons systems are we going to provide them? They just recently received F-16s. I hope that over time, the Ukrainians will learn to better deploy this weapons system, and we will see some positive effects from the F-16s on the battlefield. The same is true for ATACMS, HIMARS, and other weapons," the senator stated.
