Russian President Vladimir Putin has made new statements regarding Ukraine’s territory, claiming that several western regions of the country could, in the future, return to states that, according to him, historically administered them.
Speaking during a public appearance, Putin said that western Ukrainian territories became part of the Ukrainian state during the Soviet era through a decision made by Soviet leader Joseph Stalin following the Second World War.
According to the Russian president, the decision was taken at a time when the Soviet Union functioned as a single state and the current geopolitical situation could not have been foreseen.
Putin further claimed that Ukraine could lose these territories in the future, referring to regions that, according to him, had previously been part of Poland, Hungary, and Romania.
In the same remarks, the Russian leader reiterated Moscow’s longstanding position that Russia did not initiate the war in Ukraine, asserting that its military actions were a response to developments backed by Western countries.
The statements come as the war in Ukraine continues and the issue of the country’s territorial integrity remains one of the most sensitive topics in ongoing international efforts to achieve a diplomatic resolution to the conflict.
