Putin denied that Ukraine had suffered territorial losses amid the peace talks

Russian dictator Vladimir Putin has claimed that the Ukrainian territories seized by Russia are allegedly “historical lands of Russia.” He also claims that Ukraine has no grounds to speak of the loss of these lands, citing the alleged desire of residents of the Donbas and so-called “Novorossiya” to join the Russian Federation. The statement came amid discussions about a possible resumption of peace talks following Putin’s meeting with U.S. President’s Special Envoy Steve Witkoff.

 

Vladimir Putin stated that the territories of Ukraine seized by Russia allegedly belong to its “historic lands.” According to him, it is inappropriate for Kyiv to speak of the loss of these territories. “The lands lost by Kyiv are not their territory; they are Russia’s historical lands,” Putin said during an interview with Russian media. He also claimed that residents of the Donbas and so-called “Novorossiya” had allegedly voted for “reunification” with Russia. Putin uses this to justify the Kremlin’s claims to Ukrainian lands and denies Ukraine’s right to speak of territorial losses.

At the same time, these statements reflect the position of the Russian authorities and do not alter Ukraine’s internationally recognized borders. Russia has temporarily occupied part of Ukrainian territory, and the Kremlin’s attempts to declare the seized lands part of the Russian Federation have not received international recognition.

The statement came after a meeting with Witkoff

Putin made this statement after a meeting with Steve Witkoff, Special Envoy of U.S. President Donald Trump. The talks took place on October 21 in St. Petersburg. According to media reports, during the meeting, the parties discussed U.S. proposals for ending the war. The conversation took place against the backdrop of discussions regarding the possible resumption of peace talks between Ukraine, Russia, and the U.S.

Putin’s statement on Ukrainian territories once again highlighted the Kremlin’s position on one of the key issues of potential agreements—control over the occupied territories. At the same time, the reports do not indicate that the parties reached any agreements on the territorial issue during the meeting in St. Petersburg. 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that he is ready to attend the G20 summit in Florida if U.S. President Donald Trump invites Ukraine and there is an opportunity to discuss peace agreements with Vladimir Putin present.