Putin says where Russian troops could go in Ukraine
President Putin said that wherever there are "footprints of Russian soldiers", that place "is Russia's".
According to RIA Novosti, during the plenary session of the Saint Petersburg Economic Forum (SPIEF) on June 20, Russian President Vladimir Putin answered the question of how far the Russian army will be able to reach in Ukraine.
Sky News Arabia CEO Nadim Koteich asked: “Mr. President, I cannot doubt what you have just said – let's assume that this is a basic provision that reflects the real state of affairs, but your army goes further, it goes beyond the four regions that Moscow considers its own. What do you see as the final result? Where can your army go?”
In response to this question, President Putin said: “I have said many times that I consider Russians and Ukrainians to be one people, in this sense, all of Ukraine is ours.”
Putin said that Russia has no duty to take control of the city of Sumy, but this possibility cannot be ruled out. The actions of the Russian military in the Sumy region are dictated by the logic of how the conflict continues from the Ukrainian side. The Ukrainian Armed Forces are constantly shelling the border territories of Russia. As a result of these steps by Kiev, the Russian military has created a security zone. The depth of the security zone in the Sumy region is from 8 to 12 kilometers. And the Russian military is advancing along the entire line of contact every day.
"This is not a saying, not a fable, but an old rule: Where there are footprints of a Russian soldier walking, it is Russia," President Putin said.
President Putin said that Russia does not seek to surrender to Ukraine, but will be determined to recognize the reality on the ground. According to him, Ukraine lost 76,000 people in the Kursk region. Kiev attacked the Kursk region to get help from Western sponsors, so the attack on Kursk has political goals.
“Kiev created problems for itself by attacking the Kursk region, extending the front line by 2,000 kilometers. In addition, the Armed Forces of Ukraine committed numerous crimes in the Kursk region, including against civilians,” President Putin said.
