Putin at International Economic meet 

ANI St Petersburg 

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said Moscow is not seeking Ukraine’s unconditional surrender, but instead demands recognition of the “realities” on the ground, RT reported. Speaking during a plenary session at the St Petersburg International Economic Forum, Putin was asked if Russia was pursuing the kind of unconditional surrender from Ukraine that US President Donald Trump is demanding from Iran.

“We are not seeking the surrender of Ukraine. We insist on recognition of the realities that have developed on the ground,” Putin stated, emphasising that the Ukraine conflict is “completely different” from the situation in the West Asia, according to RT.

During a Q&A session, when questioned about Moscow’s broader military ambitions and whether Russ­ia would push beyond the territories incorporated after the 2022 referendums, Putin avoided a direct response. He reiterated his long-held belief that Russians and Ukrainians are “one people”.

“I have said many times that I consider Russians and Ukrainians to be one people, in fact. In this sense, all of Ukraine is ours,” he said, asserting that Moscow has never denied Ukraine’s right to be an independent country. Putin did not rule out military advances into deeper Ukrainian territory, including Sumy, which borders Russia. “We don’t have the goal of taking Sumy, but in principle, I don’t rule it out,” he said.