Vladimir Putin has claimed the whole of Ukraine belongs to Russia and touted the creation of a “security zone”, as Kyiv slammed his comments as “deranged”. Speaking at the Russia’s economic forum in his native Saint Petersburg on Friday, the Russian President, 72, repeated his assertion that Ukrainians and Russians are “one people” and that in “that sense, all of Ukraine is ours”.
He added: “There is a saying: wherever a Russian soldier sets foot, that is ours,” as reported by The Sun. It’s rhetoric that has been used by Putin and the Kremlin for years, used to justify Russia’s brutal full-scale invasion of its neighbour, which began in February 2022.
Ukraine, an independent country, rejects the claim and has inflicted heavy losses on the Russia’s invading army over more than three years of war as it defends its sovereignty.
Attempts by Donald Trump’s US administration to broker a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine have failed to produce major breakthroughs so far, with Kyiv claiming Russia has no interest in ending its war, pointing to continued attacks across Ukraine.
Russia has insisted on exacting demands upon Ukraine for a ceasefire to be agreed, including the lifting of sanctions on Russia imposed by Western allies of Kyiv, and a pledge in writing from leaders that NATO won’t expand eastward.
Putin has also demanded that Ukraine surrender four regions in the south of the country that Putin claims are Russian territory, but but which are only partly controlled by his forces.
The Russian President said he didn’t “rule out” attempting to capture Sumy, a city in northeast of Ukraine near the border with Russia, but said it wasn’t currently a military objective.
Putin told attendees that Russia is creating a buffer zone the Sumy region, saying: “We have to create a security zone along the border.
“We have no objective to take Sumy, but in principle I do not rule it out… They pose a constant threat to us, constantly shelling the border areas.”
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha dismissed the comments in a post on X, branding them “deranged”.
He wrote: “Putin’s cynical statements demonstrate complete disdain for US peace efforts. While the United States and the rest of the world have called for an immediate end to the killing, Russia’s top war criminal discusses plans to seize more Ukrainian territory and kill more Ukrainians.
“But, of all Putin’s deranged statements today, one about the Russian soldier’s foot stands out. In reality, wherever a Russian soldier sets foot, he brings along only death, destruction, and devastation.”
He added that the “only way to force Russia into peace is to deprive it of its sense of impunity”.
“Increase support for Ukraine’s defense and hit the Russian economy hard with devastating sanctions. Designate Russia as a terrorist state. Isolate it fully. Bring Moscow back to its senses.”