Russian President Vladimir Putin has made new statements about the western territories of Ukraine, claiming that these areas could be returned in the future to the countries that, according to him, have historically owned them.
During a statement, Putin said that some territories in western Ukraine were given to the Ukrainian state by Soviet leader Joseph Stalin after World War II, but added that this was done within the framework of a single Soviet state. “Apparently, Stalin never thought that a situation like today could arise,” Putin declared.
He claimed that Ukraine “sooner or later” will lose these territories and that areas that once belonged to Poland, Hungary and Romania “will historically return to their place.” Putin also repeated his claim that Russia did not start the war in Ukraine and that there was no aggression on the Russian side.
“We are responding to the actions of Ukraine, which has initiated hostilities with the support of the West,” he said. The Russian president’s statements come at a time when the war in Ukraine continues and territorial issues remain among the most sensitive points in any discussion of a possible diplomatic solution. /Telegraph