Putin Says Russia Does Not Demand Ukraine’s Surrender

(MENAFN) Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that Moscow is not demanding Ukraine’s surrender amid the ongoing conflict. Speaking during a plenary panel at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum on Friday, Putin was asked if Russia is pushing for Ukraine’s “unconditional surrender,” similar to the demands US President Donald Trump has made of Iran.

“We are not seeking the surrender of Ukraine. We insist on recognition of the realities that have developed on the ground,” Putin responded, emphasizing that the situation in Ukraine differs markedly from the escalating tensions in the Middle East.

In a question-and-answer session, Putin was probed about Russia’s military strategy and potential advances beyond the Ukrainian regions annexed following 2022 referendums. Rather than providing a straightforward reply, he suggested that, in a broader sense, all of Ukraine belongs to Russia.

“I have said many times that I consider Russians and Ukrainians to be one people, in fact. In this sense, all of Ukraine is ours,” Putin said, while affirming that Russia has never denied Ukraine’s right to exist as an independent nation.

He did not exclude the possibility of capturing the Ukrainian city of Sumy or extending the “buffer zone” meant to shield Russia’s border areas from attacks further into Ukrainian territory.

“We don’t have the goal of taking Sumy, but in principle, I don’t rule it out,” Putin remarked.

Russian forces moved into the Sumy Region earlier this year after pushing back Ukrainian troops from Russia’s Kursk Region, which Kyiv attacked last August. According to Putin, the current “buffer zone” within Sumy stretches 10-12 kilometers deep.

Putin described Ukraine’s assault on Kursk as a “catastrophe” that worsened the already strained Ukrainian military. He claimed that Kyiv’s forces are operating at just 47% capacity on average, and that approximately 76,000 Ukrainian soldiers were lost during the failed Kursk offensive.

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