Vladimir Putin said Russia does not intend to discuss at possible negotiations with Ukraine the “security zone” Russian forces are creating on Ukrainian territory along the border with Russia.
According to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, the planned zone stretches for about 660 kilometers, and roughly 70% of its length is allegedly under Russian control. There is no independent confirmation of those figures.
Putin said Russian forces were tasked with creating the “security zone” following fighting in Russia’s Kursk region and that Moscow does not intend to make it part of potential peace negotiations with Kyiv.
Peskov did not specify how far the zone is intended to extend into Ukrainian territory. It affects the Sumy and Kharkiv regions, which Russia has not formally claimed to have annexed.