More than two weeks into Ukraine’s incursion into western Russia, Ukrainian politicians have begun talking about establishing a buffer zone there.
But how much farther Ukraine might try to advance into Russia, and how long it plans to stay, is unclear, U.S. officials said.
After the first week of fighting, Ukraine claimed to control almost 400 square miles of Russian territory — an area roughly the size of Los Angeles.
But American officials are not convinced that Ukraine intends to hold its position in Russia long term.
They have not been laying minefields to slow down a counterattack, nor have they constructed barriers to slow down Russian tanks, the officials say.
Persons:
Volodymyr Zelensky
Locations:
Russia, Ukraine, U.S, Los Angeles
![Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Nbc_Headshot_Iris_Kim.Jpg](/find/mix/0?q="Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Nbc_Headshot_Iris_Kim.Jpg"){kind=link}