VLADIMIR Putin cemented his territorial ambitions by proclaiming “all of Ukraine” belonged to Russia and threatening to grab a key metropolis.
Ukraine slammed the tyrant’s feedback as “deranged” and referred to as for Kyiv’s allies to slap devastating sanctions on Russia.
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Talking at Russia‘s flagship financial discussion board in Saint Petersburg, Putin reaffirmed his long-held declare that Russians and Ukrainians are “one people”.
He declared: “In that sense, all of Ukraine is ours.
“There’s a saying: wherever a Russian soldier units foot, that’s ours,” he added.
The narrative is central to Putin’s rhetoric, which he has used to justify his invasion of Ukraine.
Nonetheless, he mentioned Russia is able to recognise Ukraine’s sovereignty.
However he reiterated his demand that Kyiv settle for the realities of Moscow‘s territorial gains and abandon plans to hitch Nato.
Putin mentioned: “We aren’t searching for Ukraine’s give up, we would like them to recognise the realities on the bottom,” including that Moscow has repeatedly warned Kyiv to make a deal.
Requested about Moscow’s objectives in Ukraine, Putin threatened to take Sumy – a key Ukrainian metropolis – as a part of the creation of a “buffer zone”.
He repeated that Moscow was “advancing on all fronts” and that his troops had penetrated as much as seven miles into the Sumy area.
Putin mentioned: “Now we have to create a safety zone alongside the border.
“Now we have no goal to take Sumy, however in precept I don’t rule it out… They pose a relentless risk to us, continuously shelling the border areas.”
Ukrainian Overseas Minister Andriy Sybiga described Putin’s feedback as “deranged” and referred to as for Kyiv’s allies to slap “devastating sanctions” on Russia.
“The one technique to pressure Russia into peace is to deprive it of its sense of impunity,” he wrote in a submit on X.
Putin’s widening territorial ambitions are more likely to roil Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who has accused Moscow of not wanting to finish the preventing.
The 2 sides held rounds of direct talks in Istanbul in Might and in June, however Kyiv accused Moscow of sending “dummy” negotiators with no actual energy to enact a peace deal.
Putin has declined to participate within the peace talks in particular person and on Thursday mentioned he would solely meet Zelensky throughout a “closing section” of negotiations on ending the three-year battle.
He has additionally insisted that Ukraine hand over territory it already controls for peace.
Kyiv says it can’t and won’t settle for Russian occupation of any a part of its land.
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It comes as Putin’s battlefield casualties have soared past the bloody one million milestone after 40 months of meatgrinder conflict.
Ukraine’s fierce resistance pressured Russia to pay a mighty toll for each inch of land it has taken, and its advances remain painfully slow.
The staggering milestone includes troops who’ve been killed or wounded so severely that they can’t struggle on.
In keeping with the Ukrainian Common Workers, a million Russian navy troops have been put out of motion since February 24, 2022, with 628,000 of these casualties occurring within the final six months.
Burning via one million troops has gained Putin simply 20 per cent of Ukraine’s whole territory – primarily in southern and jap areas – which is a humiliating conversion rate.
Regardless of the devastating losses which have already ripped a scar in Russian society, specialists concern that Putin is probably going unaffected by the numbers.
Zelensky confirmed that Moscow has been attempting to gain ground in the border regions of Sumy in the northeast.
Even with the death toll climbing higher by the day Putin appears to be doubling down.
The bloody milestone comes as Putin calls for a major upgrade to Russia’s ground forces, Ukrainian outlet Pravda reports.
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The Kremlin tyrant declared them the “dominant pressure” in fashionable warfare and demanded quicker growth of “superior weapons methods” with “the best tactical and technical specs.”
In a gathering on the state armaments programme, Putin additionally directed sources towards strengthening Russia’s navy, additional signalling his long-term navy ambitions.
All of it comes as Russia is reportedly build up a 50,000-strong pressure alongside the border of Kharkiv amid fears of a recent summer season offensive to assault the town.
With the US backing out of direct negotiations to broker a peace deal and Putin stalling ceasefire talks, specialists concern a significant Russian offensive may mobilise within the coming weeks.
The Ukrainian navy in April reported that the Kremlin was amassing troops to arrange for a recent assault on Kharkiv – Ukraine’s second largest metropolis.
Army analysts consider he’s attempting to press residence his benefit and seize extra Ukrainian land.
They warn that Putin solely has a “four-month window” to get a breakthrough in Ukraine this 12 months.
And this could possibly be the start of Russia’s summer season offensive concentrating on the border metropolis of Kharkiv – the “fortress” metropolis of Ukraine which put up the utmost resistance at the beginning of the invasion.
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