Russia wants to turn Ukraine into a buffer zone under its control after the war
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov called for Ukraine to be turned into a “buffer zone” after the end of hostilities to prevent alleged threats from the West. According to him, Russia will not agree to the current Ukrainian government remaining in power after the war and will continue military operations until the West makes concessions.
The head of the Russian Foreign Ministry rejected new proposals for a peaceful settlement and stated that Moscow insists on the fulfillment of its political and security demands. At the same time, sources familiar with the Kremlin’s position note that Vladimir Putin plans to retain the occupied territories of the Kharkiv and Sumy regions as permanent “buffer zones,” while continuing attempts to seize the entire Donetsk region.
This was reported by the Kyiv Post.
The Kremlin stated that it currently has neither a formal plan nor a “road map” for ending the war that Russia has unleashed against Ukraine.
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