Russia declares Ukraine 'security zone' non-negotiable in peace talks

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 16 Oct, 20:02 · Archive

President Vladimir Putin says Russia is establishing a 'security zone' inside Ukraine that will not be subject to negotiation in any future peace deal.

President Vladimir Putin has declared that Russia is establishing a 'security zone' inside Ukraine which will be non-negotiable in future peace talks. Speaking in military uniform at a command post on Friday, Putin said Russian armed forces had been tasked with 'expelling the enemy from our land but also with establishing a security zone in the adjacent territory'. He stated: 'Our goal is to ensure the absolute security of Russia's border regions for the future, and we do not plan to make this a subject for potential peace negotiations with Ukraine.'

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the planned security zone spanned 660 kilometres, of which 70 per cent was currently under Russian control. He did not specify how deep the zone would extend into Ukrainian territory. The zone would require Russia to occupy land in the Sumy and Kharkiv regions, which are not among territories Russia has claimed as its own since launching the war in 2022.

Putin said the security zone was a response to Ukraine's 2024-25 incursion into Russia's western Kursk region. Putin, who rarely wears military uniform, struck a notably confident tone in his comments to senior military officers. The announcement came one week after a deal to sell Russian diesel to the United States, which has won approval from President Donald Trump.

How it is being reported

• Russia building 'security zone' on Ukraine borderRussian President Vladimir Putin says Ukraine is building a "non-negotiable" buffer zone in Ukraine.Perth Now · 16 Oct, 19:49
• Russia building 'security zone' on Ukraine borderRussian President Vladimir Putin says Ukraine is building a "non-negotiable" buffer zone in Ukraine.The West Australian · 16 Oct, 19:49

In this story: Vladimir Putin · Ukraine · Russia · Volodymyr Zelenskiy · Dmitry Peskov · Kursk · Sumy · Kharkiv

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem