Russian President Vladimir Putin said a “security zone“ is being created along the border with Ukraine, which will not be subject to future negotiations with Kiev. He made the statement during a visit to the auxiliary headquarters of the United Group of Forces, the Kremlin reported.
Putin said the zone being created would not be subject to discussion within the framework of possible future negotiations with the Ukrainian side. Thus, the Russian leadership presents the buffer zone as part of measures to protect the border Russian regions.
Moscow announces advance in Kharkiv region
The Russian Defense Ministry said that the Russian armed forces have captured the villages of Varvarovka and Nikolaevka in Kharkiv region. According to the statement, the two settlements are located near the border with Russia and were captured the previous day.
The statement also states that over the past week, the Russian army has established control over a total of 12 settlements in Ukraine. These claims are presented by the Russian side and there is no independent verification of the reported fighting in the submitted material.
The specified territories in Donetsk and Zaporizhia regions
Putin noted that Russian forces have not yet captured just over 10 percent of the territory of the eastern Donetsk region. For the neighboring Zaporizhia region, he indicated a share of 16.5 percent.
Moscow has not declared Kharkiv region annexed, but states that it wants to establish a buffer zone there. The Russian side presents its creation as a response to Kiev's actions and regularly reports the capture of border villages.
Putin's statement places the question of the future status of the zone among the topics that Moscow has previously defined as non-negotiable. It is not clear from the information provided when and under what conditions future talks between Russia and Ukraine could begin.
Sources: bta.bg