Putin Plans to Keep Occupied Sumy and Kharkiv Territories as Buffer Zone, Sources Say

According to three sources, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin remains committed to fully seizing Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region by military force. He also plans to keep the occupied territories of Sumy and Kharkiv regions near Russia's border as a buffer zone.

While the US insists that no agreement to end the war was reached at the Alaska summit last August between Putin and President Donald Trump, Kremlin officials have repeatedly claimed the opposite. The alleged deal involved Ukraine abandoning territories in Donetsk in exchange for the occupied areas in Sumy and Kharkiv. However, Putin reportedly dropped this idea because Moscow believes increasingly confrontational US statements indicate that the informal agreements collapsed.

The Kremlin has hardened its stance as Ukraine continues to strike deep into Russian territory, including targets in Moscow. Meanwhile, Trump has supported a new sanctions bill introduced by the late Senator Lindsey Graham, which would impose up to 100% tariffs on the five largest buyers of Russian oil and gas.

Russia is ready to return to talks only after fully capturing Donetsk region. The Russian Defense Ministry has promised Putin that forces could achieve this by the end of the current year, though many Russian military officials consider 2027 a more realistic timeline.

US-led peace talks between Russia and Ukraine have been deadlocked since February, with Washington shifting focus to Iran. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will attend an ASEAN meeting in the Philippines, with Rubio saying he is open to meeting Lavrov.