Putin says that Russians and Ukrainians are one people and that all of Ukraine belongs to Russia, but does not call for Ukraine to surrender.

At the International Economic Forum in St Petersburg, Vladimir Putin declared that the Russian and Ukrainian people are one and the same, saying the whole of Ukraine is part of Russia. He mentioned the possibility of extending the buffer zone in the Sumy region, where the Russian army has entered. On the other hand, Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelenski emphasized that the Ukrainian army is ready to respond to the continuing Russian attacks, including drone strikes, causing civilian casualties.