Kathrine Frich
President Vladimir Putin delivered the exact same warning last week.
When peace seems like it might finally be on the table, the reality on the ground often tells a very different story.
Politicians talk about diplomatic breakthroughs, but the actual decisions are written in military orders and border changes.
A growing border
Russia has a clear message for anyone hoping the conflict in Ukraine will wind down anytime soon. The Kremlin insists that ongoing missile and drone attacks from Ukrainian forces will only result in more lost territory.
According to Moscow Times spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Friday that Moscow will push its boundaries further into eastern Ukraine. He made it completely clear that diplomatic negotiations are not currently part of the plan.
“The more Kyiv tries to escalate, the more we’re going to keep expanding this broader security zone, this buffer zone,” Peskov explained during his daily briefing, according to reports from Sputnik and Reuters.
Rejecting outside pressure
These statements arrive just after US President Donald Trump suggested that strikes on Russian oil facilities could finally force an end to the fighting.
Peskov firmly rejected that idea on Thursday. He brushed off the American president’s claims as “certain misconceptions” while doubling down on Moscow’s goal to widen the security gap.
President Vladimir Putin delivered the exact same warning last week. During a televised meeting with Russian soldiers, he directly tied the expanding borders to the recent attacks inside his country.
“The more attempts the enemy makes of this kind, the larger a security zone we’ll have to establish on the adjacent territory,” Putin said.
Digging in deeper
The Russian leader then added another layer to his military justification. “All the more so because this, like the other territories we’re talking about today, is also historically Russian land,” he told the troops.
This hardline stance matches what insiders are quietly saying behind the scenes. According to Reuters, three sources close to the Kremlin revealed that Putin recently turned down ceasefire proposals from his own advisers.
One of those sources warned there is a “high probability” that the conflict will only escalate in the coming months.
Moving the line
Putin originally ordered the buffer zone in the spring of 2025. That major decision followed a long push by Ukrainian forces into the Kursk region of southwestern Russia.
Since then, the exact edges of this military territory have remained blurry. The boundaries continue to stretch outward into new Ukrainian regions without any official limits.
For now, the fighting continues without a pause. Peskov noted that Putin’s strategy “has not changed” because Ukraine is “not inclined toward peace right now.”
Sources: Moscow Times, Reuters, Sputnik
