Russia building 'security zone' in Ukraine that won't be part of future peace talks: Putin

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday said Moscow is building a buffer “security zone” inside Ukraine which won’t be a part of any future peace negotiations, describing the move as necessary to protect Russia’s border regions.Putin made the remarks during a visit to a command post of Russia’s joint military task force. He linked the operation to Ukraine’s incursion into Russia’s western Kursk region in 2024-25, saying Russian forces had been directed to push Ukrainian troops out of Russian territory and extend the operation into neighbouring Ukrainian territory.“The Russian armed forces were tasked not only with expelling the enemy from our land but also with establishing a security zone in the adjacent territory.