Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov suggested that Ukraine become a “buffer zone” once the conflict ends. This was his response to a question about guarantees that hostilities would not resume in 25 years.

“Everyone is saying that Russia needs a ‘buffer zone.’ Let Ukraine be that buffer,” Mr. Lavrov said in an interview with the program “The Big Game” on Channel One (quote from the Foreign Ministry’s website).

Russian President Vladimir Putin first proposed creating a “sanitary zone” on the border with Ukraine in June 2023. Since then, the head of state has repeatedly called for expanding the security zone to protect Russia’s border regions. The exact boundaries of such a zone have not been announced. The president has stated that this will depend on attacks by the Ukrainian armed forces on Russian territory.