VLADIMIR Putin cemented his territorial ambitions by proclaiming “all of Ukraine” belonged to Russia and threatening to seize a key city.
Ukraine slammed the tyrant’s comments as “deranged” and called for Kyiv’s allies to slap devastating sanctions on Russia.
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Speaking at Russia‘s flagship economic forum in Saint Petersburg, Putin reaffirmed his long-held claim that Russians and Ukrainians are “one people”.
He declared: “In that sense, all of Ukraine is ours.
“There is a saying: wherever a Russian soldier sets foot, that is ours,” he added.
The narrative is central to Putin’s rhetoric, which he has used to justify his invasion of Ukraine.
However, he said Russia is ready to recognise Ukraine’s sovereignty.
But he reiterated his demand that Kyiv accept the realities of Moscow‘s territorial gains and abandon plans to join Nato.
Putin said: “We aren’t seeking Ukraine’s surrender, we want them to recognise the realities on the ground,” adding that Moscow has repeatedly warned Kyiv to make a deal.
Asked about Moscow’s goals in Ukraine, Putin threatened to take Sumy – a key Ukrainian city – as part of the creation of a “buffer zone”.
He repeated that Moscow was “advancing on all fronts” and that his troops had penetrated up to seven miles into the Sumy region.
Putin said: “We have to create a security zone along the border.
“We have no objective to take Sumy, but in principle I do not rule it out… They pose a constant threat to us, constantly shelling the border areas.”
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga described Putin’s comments as “deranged” and called for Kyiv’s allies to slap “devastating sanctions” on Russia.
“The only way to force Russia into peace is to deprive it of its sense of impunity,” he wrote in a post on X.
Putin’s widening territorial ambitions are likely to roil Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who has accused Moscow of not wanting to end the fighting.
The two sides held rounds of direct talks in Istanbul in May and in June, but Kyiv accused Moscow of sending “dummy” negotiators with no real power to enact a peace deal.
Putin has declined to take part in the peace talks in person and on Thursday said he would only meet Zelensky during a “final phase” of negotiations on ending the three-year conflict.
He has also insisted that Ukraine give up territory it already controls for peace.
Kyiv says it cannot and will not accept Russian occupation of any part of its land.
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It comes as Putin’s battlefield casualties have soared past the bloody one million milestone after 40 months of meatgrinder war.
Ukraine’s fierce resistance forced Russia to pay a mighty toll for every inch of land it has taken, and its advances remain painfully slow.
The staggering milestone includes troops who have been killed or wounded so severely that they cannot fight on.
According to the Ukrainian General Staff, one million Russian military troops have been put out of action since February 24, 2022, with 628,000 of those casualties occurring in the last six months.
Burning through a million troops has won Putin just 20 per cent of Ukraine’s total territory – mainly in southern and eastern areas – which is a humiliating conversion rate.
Despite the devastating losses which have already ripped a scar in Russian society, experts fear that Putin is likely unaffected by the numbers.
Zelensky confirmed that Moscow has been attempting to gain ground in the border regions of Sumy in the northeast.
Even with the death toll climbing higher by the day Putin appears to be doubling down.
The bloody milestone comes as Putin calls for a major upgrade to Russia’s ground forces, Ukrainian outlet Pravda reports.
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The Kremlin tyrant declared them the “dominant force” in modern warfare and demanded faster development of “advanced weapons systems” with “the highest tactical and technical specifications.”
In a meeting on the state armaments programme, Putin also directed resources toward strengthening Russia’s navy, further signalling his long-term military ambitions.
It all comes as Russia is reportedly building up a 50,000-strong force alongside the border of Kharkiv amid fears of a fresh summer offensive to attack the city.
With the US backing out of direct negotiations to broker a peace deal and Putin stalling ceasefire talks, experts fear a major Russian offensive could mobilise in the coming weeks.
The Ukrainian military in April reported that the Kremlin was amassing troops to prepare for a fresh assault on Kharkiv – Ukraine’s second largest city.
Military analysts believe he is trying to press home his advantage and capture more Ukrainian land.
They warn that Putin only has a “four-month window” to get a breakthrough in Ukraine this year.
And this could be the beginning of Russia’s summer offensive targeting the border city of Kharkiv – the “fortress” city of Ukraine which put up the maximum resistance at the start of the invasion.
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