According to the Russian President Vladimir Putin And what he said on Friday (20/6/25) Russians and Ukrainians is a people “and in this sense the whole of Ukraine is ours.” He added that Russia does not exclude control of the Ukrainian northeast city of Sumi.
Vladimir Putin, speaking at an international economic forum in St. Petersburg, said that Russia has never questioned Ukraine’s right to sovereignty, but noted that when Ukraine declared its independence in 1991 it was “neutral”.
Putin, who says Russia is fighting in Ukraine to protect its safety, answered a question about Russia’s war targets. “We have a saying or parable”, saying: “Where the foot of a Russian soldier presses, this is ours“, Putin said.
Kiev and its western allies have rejected Moscow’s claims in four Ukrainian regions and Crimea as illegal, and Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelenski has repeatedly rejected the view that Russians and Ukrainians are a people.
“We have this old rule: wherever a Russian soldier sets foot, it’s ours.” – Putin. https://t.co/EhMrkY3J8d pic.twitter.com/pEMTzEr04z
– Anton Gerashchenko (@Geashchenko_en) June 20, 2025
Putin said the Russian forces were shaping a dead zone in the Sumi area of Ukraine to protect the Russian territory and said it did not exclude these troops to take control of the regional capital Sumi.
“Russia does not seek to capitulate Ukraine, but it wants Kiev to recognize the reality of the situation on the battlefield,” the Russian president continued.
He also warned Ukraine against the idea to use a “dirty bomb” against Russia, which, he said, would have devastating consequences for Kiev, but said he had not seen any evidence that Ukraine was planning.
“If Kiev ever used such a bomb, the Russian response would probably be catastrophic for Ukraine’s political leadership and Ukraine as a whole,” Putin said.
Putin is worried about World War III
Speaking about the situation in the Middle East, the Russian president said Moscow was sharing ideas with Israel and Iran on how to end the bloodshed, which he did not determine and said he believed there was a diplomatic solution to the crisis.
He stressed that Russia is in contact with our “Israeli and Iranian friends” and that Moscow’s proposals are currently being discussed.
‘Russia is worried about the threat of a third world war. There is a high chance of conflict now. It is necessary to find solutions to conflicts in all areas and by peaceful means, “he added.
At the same time, he said that work at the Busher Nuclear Station in Iran is continuing, no staff are being evacuated, as President Trump “guaranteed their safety”.