Putin stated that he does not seek Ukraine’s capitulation, but demands “recognition of realities”

Russian President Vladimir Putin has outlined Moscow’s objectives in the war against Ukraine.

He addressed the topic while speaking with journalists at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, currently underway in Russia’s northern capital.

According to the Kremlin leader, Russia does not seek Ukraine’s capitulation, but rather recognition of the territories it has seized.

“Russia is not seeking Ukraine’s surrender, but insists on recognition of the realities on the ground,”Putin stated.

He also made a controversial claim: “All of Ukraine is ours.”

“The Russian and Ukrainian peoples are one people. In that sense, all of Ukraine is ours,” Putin said in response to a question about how far the Russian army intends to advance.

In addition, Putin did not rule out the capture of Sumy by Russian forces.

“We have no objective to take Sumy, but I don’t exclude it,” he said, adding that Kyiv “created this problem for itself by attacking the Kursk region.”

According to him, the current buffer zone in Sumy region is about 10–12 kilometers.

Earlier, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated that the Russian offensive in Dnipropetrovsk region is also aimed at creating a buffer zone, as previously promised by Putin.

Meanwhile, Ukraine’s Presidential Office believes that Russia aims to capture the entire Left Bank of Ukraine, as well as Odesa and Mykolaiv.