Putin Threatened to Seize New Territories in Ukraine — NYT
During a rare visit to the front lines in military uniform, Russian President Vladimir Putin threatened to seize new Ukrainian territories outside the Donbas.
The visit took place amid intensified Ukrainian strikes on Russian territory, prompting the Kremlin to step up its efforts to demonstrate the initiative on the battlefield.
Putin stated that an increase in Ukrainian attacks on Russian infrastructure would lead to the expansion of the so-called “security zone” in the Kharkiv and Sumy regions.
“This, like the other territories we are discussing today, is historically Russian land,” he emphasized while listening to the commander’s briefing on operations in these regions.
Analysts at The New York Times note that the Kremlin is trying to refute the notion that Kyiv has seized the initiative, despite a significant slowdown in the advance of Russian troops in recent months.
Acknowledging Ukraine’s successes would undermine Moscow’s key argument in negotiations with U.S. President Donald Trump, according to which Kyiv should allegedly cede the occupied areas of Donbas.
During a meeting at a command post, Putin sharply criticized the Ukrainian leadership and called the politicians “actors.”
He stated that they “actually know how to do nothing else and have been trained in nothing else,” which was a scathing jab at Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
According to the Kremlin leader, the Ukrainian authorities’ high-profile statements about successes on the front lines are self-deception that allegedly only plays into Russia’s hands.
During the meeting, Putin studied maps of the combat operations in detail together with Chief of the General Staff General Valery Gerasimov.
The publication notes that such visits by the Russian leader to the front lines are extremely rare and occur at pivotal moments in the war.
The Kremlin uses such footage to highlight a perceived victory or to prove its case to domestic and international audiences.
This is reported by The New York Times.
Putin has declared his readiness for negotiations on Ukraine for the second time this week
As a reminder, Putin did not entrust Medvedev with leading the ruling party into the elections.
During a speech at the United Russia party convention, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin delivered yet another round of propaganda claims regarding the war in Ukraine and the domestic political situation in Russia. The Kremlin leader assured those present that the situation currently remains completely “under control” and that Western countries are incapable of defeating Russia on the battlefield.
The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs dismissed Putin’s statements and cited the actual losses suffered by Russia.
