[Russia] - Putin Jokes About Occupying Ukraine's Sumy Region

INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
President Vladimir Putin appeared to minimize militarily seizing Ukraines Sumy area during a check out to Russias southwestern Kursk region,
even as the Kremlin declares to be pursuing a negotiated end to the war.The minute was caught on video published by the state-run news
agency TASS, in which a local official from the Glushkovsky district near the border with Ukraine told Putin: Sumy must be ours.We can not
live like were on some sort of peninsula
There need to be more of us [Russians] At least in Sumy, the official, Pavel Zolotarev, included
With you as commander-in-chief, well win.Zolotarevs proposal was available in action to Putin asking how far Russian forces should press
Ukrainian troops from the border.Putin, smiling and gesturing to nearby authorities, quipped that his visit of Alexander Khinshtein as Kursk
areas acting guv was part of that effort: Thats why Alexander Yevseyevich was picked
He likewise wants more of everything.His remark was met with laughs from officials.Putins comments came days after multiple reports claimed
that Russian arbitrators had actually threatened to seize Ukraines Sumy and Kharkiv areas during direct peace settlements held in
Turkey.Moscow has actually not officially laid claim to either area, though both have come under heavy Russian attack in recent
months.Earlier this month, Russias Defense Ministry stated it was developing a buffer zone in Ukraines Sumy region, mirroring the reason
utilized for its present offensive in Kharkiv.The militarys statement followed Putins call during a previous trip to Kursk for forces to
press the Ukrainian military farther from the Russian border.Russias Chief of the General Staff, Valery Gerasimov, informed Putin throughout
the check out that Kursk had been totally freed with help from North Korean soldiers
Ukrainian forces had inhabited parts of the border region following a surprise attack in August.