Moscow: Russian President Vladimir Putin has made a big statement and claimed the whole of Ukraine. Speaking at Russia's major economic forum in St. Petersburg, Putin reiterated his long-standing claim on Ukraine and said that Russians and Ukrainians are 'one people'. He said that in this sense 'all of Ukraine is ours.' Along with this, he also said that the possibility of Russian forces taking control of the Ukrainian city of Sumy is not ruled out. Ukraine has condemned these remarks and called it Putin's madness.
Putin said, 'We have a saying - wherever a Russian soldier's foot falls, it is ours.' Clarifying his position on Ukraine, the Russian president said Russia has never doubted Ukraine's right to sovereignty. But also said Ukraine had declared independence as a neutral state in 1991. Putin said Russia's military is establishing a buffer zone in Ukraine's northeastern Sumy region to prevent attacks on Russian territory. He did not rule out the possibility that Russian forces would eventually capture the city of Sumy.
Putin also spoke about Ukraine's surrender
He reiterated his demand that Kiev accept the realities of Moscow's territorial gains and abandon plans to join NATO. Putin said, 'We are not demanding Ukraine's surrender. We want them to recognize the reality on the ground.' He said Moscow has repeatedly warned Kiev to compromise.
Ukraine called Putin's statement madness
Putin said, 'We have no intention to occupy Sumy, but in principle I do not rule it out. They continue to threaten us and are firing on the border areas.' Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andriy Sibiga called Putin's comments "madness" and called for tough sanctions against Russia. "The only way to force Russia to peace is to eliminate its sense of impunity," he wrote in a post on X.
