Ukrainian FM slams Putin's buffer zone plan as blow to peace efforts
Photo: Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiga (Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
Russian leader Vladimir Putin’s statement about creating a buffer zone on the border with Ukraine comes amid ongoing international efforts to secure a ceasefire, stated Ukraine’s Deputy Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha.
"I remind the world that Putin’s statements about the buffer zone come amid active efforts to achieve a full, durable ceasefire, stop the killing, and advance peace," Sybiha emphasized.
He said these new aggressive statements reject peace initiatives and demonstrate that the Russian leader has been and remains the only reason the killings continues.
"He needs to face more pressure to end this war," the minister stressed.
Putin's statement about creating a buffer zone
Earlier today, Russian leader Vladimir Putin announced that the Russian military has begun implementing a plan to create a so-called security buffer zone near the border with Ukraine.
The statement drew an immediate response from Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi, who told reporters that Putin’s comments are further proof of ongoing Russian aggression.
It’s worth noting that it is not Putin's first statement about a buffer zone in Ukraine. Back in 2023, the Russian leader warned that if Ukrainian strikes on Russian territory continued, Moscow would consider establishing a sanitary zone inside Ukraine to prevent the Ukrainian Armed Forces from reaching Russian regions.
Last year, Putin made similar threats about creating a buffer or sanitary zone, but those threats never materialized into actual actions.
