Putin's buffer zone plan shows Russia's aggression, says MFA of Ukraine
Heorhii Tykhyi, Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine (Photo: Vitalii Nosach / RBC-Ukraine)
Statements by Russian President Vladimir Putin about creating a buffer zone are evidence of the Russian Federation's aggression, said Heorhii Tykhyi, spokesperson for Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Background
Today, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that the Russian military has begun implementing a plan to establish a so-called security buffer zone along the border with Ukraine.
"A decision has been made to create a security buffer zone along the border between Russia and Ukraine," the Russian President said. According to him, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation have already begun carrying out this task.
Ukraine's response
According to Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi, Putin's statements are nothing new — similar remarks have been made by the President in the past.
"But right now, at a time when the United States, European partners, and Ukraine are calling for a peaceful process and a sustained ceasefire lasting 30 days or more, such statements from the Russian President are very telling. They show the world that this individual is the sole reason — or as some say, the root cause — of this war, and the only reason it is still ongoing," Tykhyi said.
He emphasized that these words clearly demonstrate that Putin and Russia are the main obstacles to peace efforts at this moment, and that pressure on them — in all its forms — must be increased.
"As for so-called buffer zones — sure, there can be a buffer zone, but only on Russian territory. That's exactly why Ukraine has been conducting the Kursk operation there since last year. That's our position," he added.
"Buffer zone" in Ukraine
This is not the first time Putin has spoken about creating such a zone in Ukraine. Just last year, the President threatened to establish a buffer zone up to 150 kilometers wide along the border with Ukraine, referring to it as a sanitary zone.
At the time, Putin emphasized his intention to create a so-called demilitarized zone, free of enemy forces.
Earlier, in 2023, the Russian President had also claimed that if attacks on Russian territory continued, Russia would have to consider creating a sanitary zone on Ukrainian territory to prevent the Armed Forces of Ukraine from reaching Russian soil.
President Zelenskyy's office responded to those statements, explaining the real motive behind Putin's plan.
