ST PETERSBURG: Russian President Vladimir Putin declared that, in his view, the entire territory of Ukraine is “ours” and indicated that Russian forces may push further to capture the Ukrainian city of Sumy.
This move is part of Russia’s effort to establish a buffer zone along the border with Ukraine.
Putin’s Stance on Ukraine’s Sovereignty and Neutrality
Putin, who ordered the invasion of Ukraine in 2022 after years of conflict in the country’s east, emphasized that he is not seeking Ukraine’s complete surrender nor denying its sovereignty.
However, he stressed that Ukraine must remain neutral in geopolitical terms.
Currently, Russia controls approximately one-fifth of Ukraine’s territory, including Crimea, most of the Luhansk region, and significant parts of Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, as well as fragments of Kharkiv, Sumy, and Dnipropetrovsk regions.
At the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, Putin stated that Russians and Ukrainians are “one people” and therefore, “the whole of Ukraine is ours.”
International Reactions and Ukrainian Response
Ukraine’s government and Western allies reject Russia’s claims to annexed territories, viewing them as illegal.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has repeatedly denied that Russians and Ukrainians are one people and called Putin’s peace terms tantamount to capitulation.
Putin defended his position by recalling that Ukraine declared independence and neutrality during the Soviet Union’s collapse in 1991.
His comments underline Moscow’s ongoing justification for its military actions and its demands regarding Ukraine’s political stance.
The conflict remains a critical flashpoint with broad international implications for regional security and diplomacy.
