Zachary Schermele, USA TODAY
Updated Sat, June 21, 2025 at 11:38 AM CDT
Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested during an economic forum that the "whole of Ukraine" belongs to his country, even though Russia only controls about a fifth of Ukrainian territory.
He made the comments on June 20 at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, where he also indicated that he wouldn't "rule out" taking the northern Sumy region, which Russian troops have been rapidly advancing into in recent weeks. The regional capital of 250,000 people is located just over a dozen miles from the Russian border.
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"Where the foot of a Russian soldier steps, that is ours," Putin said.
Ukraine's foreign minister, Andrii Sybiha, condemned Putin's remarks, which he called "deranged."
