Putin Declares Ukraine Belongs to Russia and Threatens Nuclear Strike

(The Post News)- Russian President Vladimir Putin has shown no intention of slowing down the almost four-year-long invasion of Ukraine, insisting that Russians and Ukrainians are “one people,” and therefore, in his words, “all of Ukraine is ours.”

Speaking during a Q&A session at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, Putin was asked about Russia’s long-term objectives in Ukraine. In response, he reaffirmed that he has always seen Russia and Ukraine as “people of one nation,” and therefore, in his view, “all of Ukraine is ours”. He further emphasised this point by quoting an old saying: “Where the foot of a Russian soldier steps, that is ours.” These remarks were met with applause from an audience of Russian politicians and business leaders, The Independent reported.

For the first time in months, Putin also renewed his nuclear threats, warning of “catastrophic consequences” if Ukraine were to use a dirty bomb — a weapon that combines conventional explosives with radioactive material.

“This would be a colossal mistake on the part of those whom we call neo-Nazis on the territory of today’s Ukraine,” Putin said.
“It could be their last mistake. We always respond and respond in kind. Therefore, our response will be very tough.”

In direct response to Putin’s remark, “Where the foot of a Russian soldier steps, that is ours,” Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha condemned the Russian leader’s rhetoric.

Posting on X (formerly Twitter), Sybiha wrote: “Wherever a Russian soldier sets foot, he brings along only death, destruction, and devastation.”

In response to Putin’s comment “where the foot of a Russian soldier steps, that is ours,” Ukraine’s foreign minister Andrii Sybiha posted on X, “wherever a Russian soldier sets foot, he brings along only death, destruction, and devastation.”

Putin has also made it clear that Russia will not return any occupied Ukrainian territories, despite repeated calls from the international community and Ukranian allies. He defended the 2022 referendums in four Ukrainian regions and Crimea, calling them expressions of the “will of the people”.

He further accused international powers of obstructing peace by using Ukraine as a geopolitical pawn and expressed hope that, in any future negotiations, “Ukraine will be guided by national interests rather than the interests of its sponsors.” He added that “Ukraine deserves a better fate than being an instrument in the geopolitical struggle of those who seek confrontation with the Russian Federation.”