Putin: 'We don't have the task of taking Sumy, but I don't rule it out'

The Russian dictator made this comment during the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, Ukrinform reports, citing Current Time.

When asked about the Russian army's incursion into the Sumy region, Putin said: "They [the Ukrainian Armed Forces] came into our Kursk region and committed crimes. We pushed them out. And now we are forced to create a security zone along the border. We don't have the task of taking Sumy, but in principle, I don't rule it out."

According to Putin, Russia is "creating a security zone" along the border with the Sumy region that is 8 to 12 kilometers deep.

He also repeated a long-standing propaganda claim, saying that "Russians and Ukrainians are one people, and in that sense, all of Ukraine is ours."

"There's an old rule: wherever a Russian soldier sets foot, that's ours," he said.

At the same time, Putin claimed he is not seeking Ukraine's capitulation but rather the recognition of so-called "realities on the ground." This was his response to the moderator's question comparing U.S. President Donald Trump's approach to Iran's nuclear program with Russia's war in Ukraine:

"We are not seeking Ukraine's surrender. We insist on accepting the realities on the ground," he said.