Today, June 20, Russia's President Vladimir Putin said that Russians and Ukrainians are one people, "and in that sense the whole of Ukraine is ours." The Russian President further said that he did not rule out Russia taking control of the Ukrainian city of Sumy. Putin's statement, when he was speaking at the international economic forum in St Petersburg, reports Reuters. He also said that Russia had never doubted Ukraine's right to sovereignty, but further noted that when Ukraine declared its independence in 1991, it was as a "neutral state". Vladimir Putin also said that Russian forces were carving out a buffer zone in Ukraine's Sumy region to protect Russian territory. He further said that he did not rule out those same troops taking control of the regional capital of Sumy. Vladimir Putin Boasts About Russia's Economy Despite Recession Fears.

Russians and Ukrainians Are One People, Says Vladimir Putin

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