Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday said that Russians and Ukrainians are “one people” and declared that “in that sense the whole of Ukraine is ours,” while also stating that he does not rule out Russian forces taking control of the Ukrainian city of Sumy. Speaking at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, Putin addressed questions regarding Russia’s objectives in Ukraine, reiterating his view that the military campaign is intended to safeguard Russian security. “We have a saying, or a parable,” Putin said. “Where the foot of a Russian soldier steps, that is ours.” While reaffirming his position on the unity of Russians and Ukrainians, Putin also said, “Russia has never doubted Ukraine’s right to sovereignty,” but added that Ukraine had declared independence in 1991 as a “neutral state.” Putin said Russian troops were establishing a buffer zone in Ukraine’s northeastern Sumy region to prevent attacks on Russian territory and did not exclude the possibility of those forces eventually seizing the city of Sumy itself. Kyiv and Western governments have repeatedly condemned Russia’s claims over Ukrainian territory, including four annexed regions and Crimea, as illegal. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has consistently rejected the narrative that Russians and Ukrainians are one people. The remarks come as Russia continues its offensive in eastern and northeastern Ukraine, amid growing international concern over the expanding scope of the conflict.