Putin: Russian troops build buffer zone on the Ukraine border

Putin: Russian troops build buffer zone on the Ukraine border

The Russian armed forces create a "security buffer zone" along the border between Russia and Ukraine, said President Vladimir Putin on Thursday.

Putin's announcement

"I have already said that a decision has been made to create the necessary security buffer zone along the border. Our armed forces are already working on solving this problem. Entire fireplaces are actively suppressed, the work is in progress," says Putin.

reactions from Ukraine

The spokesman for the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, Horhii Tykhyi, described the plan as "aggressive" and emphasized that "Russia is the obstacle to peace efforts". These statements come before an upcoming prisoner exchange between Ukraine and Russia on Friday - a result of conversations that took place in Turkey last week. It is the first direct discussions between the two countries for three years.

The background of the buffer zone

President Putin had already addressed the possibility of a "buffer zone" during a visit to the Course region of Russia in March. He confirmed the plan during a meeting on Thursday with members of the government, in which he emphasized the need to "restore and repair everything that was destroyed in the border area".

"We have to help people return to their home villages and settlements, and where the security conditions allow it, restore all transport and other infrastructure," added Putin.

planned recovery projects

The Russian President plans to hold a special meeting to discuss the projects for "restoration", reported Russian state media on Thursday.

political developments

The announcement takes place just a few days after Putin's visit to the Kursk region, where he was present for the first time since the claim that he was completely recaptured by the region from Ukrainian armed forces. During the visit, the Russian leader expressed that Ukrainian forces tried to approach the Russian border, according to the news agency Ria Novosti.

Ukraine started its offensive to the Russian border area last August - the first ground invasion of Russia by a stranger since World War II. Until the end of the last month, Ukraine had checked parts of the region to use them as a means of pressure in possible peace talks.

results of the talks in Turkey

This was the only direct dialogue last week when teams from Kiev and Moscow came together in Turkey to talk about the end of the war. They agreed on a prisoner exchange of 1,000 people on each page.

The spokesman for the Kremlin, Dmitri Peskow, said on Thursday that Russia received the list of prisoners of war proposed by Ukraine for the expected exchange on Friday. "Yes, in fact, we have received them now," said Peskow when he was asked about the Ukrainian list.

statement by President Selenskyj

The Ukrainian President Wolodymyr Selenskyj said on Thursday on X (formerly Twitter) that Ukraine "clarifies the details for each person on the lists transmitted by the Russian side". He added: "The agreement on the release of 1,000 of our people from Russian captivity was perhaps the only tangible result of the meeting in Turkey. We are working on the fact that this result is achieved."

reports of CNNS LEX Harvey.