From: Transform Ukraine By Douglas Landro / June 21, 2025
As Moscow’s Leader Reveals Total Conquest Plans, Massive Drone Strikes Kill Civilians While Prisoner Exchanges Continue Under Istanbul Accords
Summary of the Day – June 20, 2025
The mask of limited territorial objectives finally fell away as Russian President Vladimir Putin openly declared at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum that “all of Ukraine” belongs to Russia—the most explicit statement yet of Moscow’s true imperial ambitions. The chilling pronouncement came as Ukraine and Russia conducted their sixth prisoner exchange under the June 2 Istanbul agreements, returning severely wounded defenders to Ukrainian soil. Meanwhile, the war’s brutal reality continued with “massive” Russian drone attacks that killed two civilians and injured thirty-nine others across multiple regions, including a devastating assault on Odesa that trapped residents in burning buildings. Against this backdrop of escalating rhetoric and violence, Ukraine imposed sweeping sanctions on dozens of Russian, Chinese, and Belarusian entities fueling Moscow’s drone production capabilities, while Putin’s alliance with Iran faced new strains from Israeli military strikes that forced Russia to evacuate nuclear specialists from Iranian facilities.
“Where the Foot of a Russian Soldier Steps”: Putin’s Imperial Declaration
The pretense that Russia seeks only limited territorial gains evaporated at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum when Putin delivered his most expansive territorial claim yet: “All of Ukraine is ours.” The statement, rooted in the false narrative that Russians and Ukrainians are “one people,” invoked an old imperial saying that left no room for ambiguity: “Wherever the foot of a Russian soldier steps is Russian land.”
Putin’s declaration revealed how Moscow uses “buffer zones” to justify expansion beyond its illegal annexation of five Ukrainian regions. When asked about seizing Sumy City, Putin maintained calculated ambiguity: “We don’t have a task to take Sumy, but I don’t rule it out.” Russian officials have called for buffer zones extending 20-30 kilometers into Ukrainian territory, with some demanding expansion into Dnipropetrovsk Oblast up to the Dnipro River.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha condemned the comments as showing “complete disregard for U.S. peace efforts,” responding with mathematical precision: “He already disposed one million Russian soldiers in a senseless bloodbath in Ukraine without achieving a single strategic goal. One million soldiers. Two million feet.”
At the UN Security Council, Russia’s envoy characterized Moscow’s peace memorandum from Istanbul talks as “the best offer Ukraine can get today,” demanding Ukraine recognize all annexed regions and surrender areas not under Russian control. The ultimatum makes clear that Putin views any settlement short of Ukrainian capitulation as merely a pause before resuming conquest.
Zelensky’s Defiant Response: Defending Sumy and Seeking NATO Support
In his evening address, President Zelensky directly countered Putin’s territorial threats: “The Russians had various plans and intentions there — absolutely insane, as usual. We are holding them back and eliminating these killers, defending our Sumy Oblast.” He confirmed detailed military briefings on frontline operations, particularly focusing on Sumy Oblast and border area defenses.
Voice of Ukraine 