I am convinced that sooner or later Ukraine will lose these Western…
I am convinced that sooner or later Ukraine will lose these Western lands - those that belonged to Poland and Hungary and Romania - sooner or later, not tomorrow, perhaps next day, a year, two years, ten, fifteen, but all of it will historically return to its rightful places.
Consensus
- Vladimir Putin expressed confidence that Ukraine will eventually lose its western territories, which historically belonged to Poland, Hungary, and Romania.
- Putin claimed Russia was the only guarantor of Ukraine's territorial integrity.
- The statement was made during a meeting with naval personnel in Saint Petersburg on July 26.
- Poland denied having any territorial claims against Ukraine.
- Poland affirmed its recognition, respect, and unwavering support for Ukraine's territorial integrity and sovereignty.
Points of divergence
- Putin stated that the current world order was formed after World War II based on the UN Charter, which was shaped by victorious nations—Soviet Union, USA, and UK—and criticized the West for attempting to 'correct' this order after the USSR's collapse. — kommersant
- Putin claimed that Ukraine’s leadership declared Russians a non-titular nation on Ukrainian territory, calling it nonsense, and accused Western powers of breaking promises not to expand NATO, which he said led to the situation in Ukraine. — interfax
- Putin emphasized that changes in Ukraine's territorial structure are historically inevitable but do not necessarily happen immediately. — vm
Coverage (5 sources)
- Poland denies territorial claims against Ukraine — Вести
- Putin: Russia was the guarantor of Ukraine's integrity — Коммерсантъ
- Putin: Ukraine will lose western lands sooner or later — Вести
- Putin: Ukraine will lose its western regions — Вечерняя Москва
- Putin says Ukraine will eventually lose its western lands — Интерфакс