Overview

• At the St. Petersburg Economic Forum, Putin insisted Russians and Ukrainians are “one people” and framed the entirety of Ukraine as integral to Russia’s sphere.
• He said troops were carving a buffer zone up to 12 kilometres deep in the Sumy region to shield Russian territory and did not rule out seizing the regional capital, Sumy.
• Russian forces have advanced roughly 12 kilometres into northeastern Sumy, marking a fresh push beyond territories formally annexed in 2022.
• President Zelenskyy denounced the demands as tantamount to surrender, and Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha accused Putin of showing “complete disdain” for US-led peace efforts.
• With President Trump’s administration avoiding pressure for fresh talks, diplomatic momentum has stalled with no ceasefire in sight.