'I don’t rule it out': Putin reveals Russia’s plans for Ukraine's Sumy
Photo: Russian President Vladimir Putin (Getty Images)
Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that Russia allegedly does not plan to capture Sumy. However, he cynically added right away that he "does not rule out" such a possibility, according to Putin’s statement at the plenary session of SPIEF-2025 (St. Petersburg International Economic Forum).
Specifically, the Kremlin leader stated that Russia allegedly plans to create a "security zone" along the border of Ukraine’s Sumy region, 10 to 15 kilometers wide. At the same time, he once again lied about the "huge losses" suffered by the Armed Forces of Ukraine during the Kursk operation.
"We do not have the task of taking Sumy, but I do not rule it out," he added.
When asked by the forum moderator why Russia even needed this "security zone," Putin complained that Ukraine had greatly frightened Russia by attacking the Kursk region. After that, he claimed, Ukraine began threatening two more Russian regions.
New statements from Putin
The Russian President is participating in SPIEF-2025 in St. Petersburg and has been making ambiguous statements for several days. On June 20, Putin claimed that Moscow allegedly does not seek Ukraine’s capitulation. However, the Kremlin wants recognition of the "realities on the ground."
On June 18, during his press conference, Putin said he was supposedly ready to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. However, he does not want to sign any documents with him.
In Ukraine, Putin’s verbal gymnastics were called a "talk show for Trump." Kyiv is highly skeptical of any Putin statements about "peace negotiations" and peace.
