Afghanistan, Oct. 17 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin said Russia would not negotiate over its planned "security zone" inside Ukraine along the two countries' border, signalling that Moscow intends to maintain control over territory it considers necessary to protect its border regions.
Putin made the remarks Friday during a visit to a military command post, where he appeared in military uniform and addressed commanders. He said Russian forces had been ordered not only to expel Ukrainian troops from Russian territory but also to establish a security zone in adjacent Ukrainian territory. He described the operation as progressing successfully.
The Russian president linked the operation to Ukraine's 2024 incursion into Russia's western Kur...