Putin Says ‘Whole of Ukraine Is Ours,’ Eyes Buffer Zone Near Border

ST. PETERSBURG: Russian President Vladimir Putin declared on Friday that “the whole of Ukraine is ours”, while hinting at further territorial ambitions as Russian forces continue to advance in eastern Ukraine. Speaking at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, Putin also suggested that troops could soon move on the Ukrainian city of Sumy, as part of a strategy to create a buffer zone along Russia’s western border.

Despite the strong rhetoric, Putin insisted he is not calling for Ukraine’s surrender or denying its sovereignty, but emphasized that Ukrainian neutrality remains essential for any future peace.

“I believe Russians and Ukrainians are one people — in that sense, the whole of Ukraine is ours,” Putin said, reiterating his long-held position.

Russia Expanding Control in Eastern Ukraine
Since launching its full-scale invasion in 2022, Russia has taken control of approximately 20% of Ukrainian territory, including:

Crimea (annexed in 2014)

Over 99% of Luhansk

More than 70% of Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson

Parts of Kharkiv, Sumy, and Dnipropetrovsk

Putin’s latest comments come as Russian troops gain ground near the eastern front. He pointed out that Kyiv had originally declared neutrality after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, and suggested that Ukraine has since veered away from that commitment.

Ukraine, West Reject Russian Claims
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Western leaders have firmly rejected Russia’s territorial claims and the narrative that Russians and Ukrainians are “one people.” Zelensky has also dismissed Putin’s proposed terms for peace, likening them to a demand for unconditional surrender.

Western allies have maintained that any Russian occupation of Ukrainian land is illegal under international law, including the annexation of Crimea and claims to four additional regions.

Despite Russian advances, Ukraine continues to receive military and economic support from NATO countries and vows to regain all occupied territories.