Putin demands expansion of buffer zone in Ukraine's Sumy and Kharkiv regions
Photo: Vladimir Putin, Russian leader (Getty Images)
Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered his occupation army to expand the so-called buffer zone in Ukraine’s Sumy and Kharkiv regions next year, according to Russian Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov.
Gerasimov claimed that Russian forces are continuing to create a "security belt" in the Sumy and Kharkiv regions. In his usual manner, he exaggerated the Russian army’s successes, including the "capture of about 32 settlements, including Vovchansk."
The head of Russia’s General Staff also claimed that Russian troops had seized seven Ukrainian settlements in the Kharkiv and Sumy regions in December.
"The Russian President has set the task of continuing to expand the security belt next year to ensure peaceful life for residents of the Belgorod and Kursk regions," he said.
Peace talks
It is worth noting that Russian President Vladimir Putin recently also ordered his troops to advance toward Zaporizhzhia. Russia’s military command claims that Russian forces are already within 15 kilometers of the southern outskirts of the city.
Such orders from the Kremlin leader come amid active peace talks. In particular, Putin recently held a phone call with US President Donald Trump.
After those talks, speaking at a press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the US leader said Putin was seeking peace, despite ongoing Russian attacks on Ukraine’s cities.
Commenting on Trump’s remarks, Zelenskyy pointed out that Putin does not publicly speak about any desire to establish peace, saying that such messages are addressed exclusively to the US President.
