Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered the military to begin establishing a "security buffer zone" along the border with Ukraine, according to Russian state media reports on Thursday.

The announcement marks a significant escalation in the ongoing conflict, drawing swift condemnation from Ukrainian officials who say the move undermines ongoing peace efforts.

Putin’s directive follows his first publicly known visit to Russia’s Kursk Oblast, a region that saw a Ukrainian cross-border incursion last summer. Despite Kremlin claims that the area has been fully retaken, Ukraine asserts that its military operations in the region are ongoing.

“I have already said that a decision has been made to create the necessary security buffer zone along the border,” Putin declared during a video conference with government officials. “Our armed forces are currently solving this problem,” he added, specifying that the buffer zone would span across the Kursk, Bryansk, and Belgorod oblasts.

Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry sharply criticized the announcement, describing it as further evidence that Russia is not committed to achieving peace. “Putin’s statements about the ‘buffer zone’ come amid active efforts to achieve a full, durable ceasefire, stop the killing, and advance peace,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said on social media. “These new aggressive claims clearly reject peace efforts and show that Putin remains the only reason the killing continues.”

Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi echoed this sentiment, arguing that any “buffer zone” should be limited to Russian territory. “It is Russia that is an obstacle to peace efforts now,” Tykhyi told Ukrainian media. “And as for the 'buffer zones,' there can be one — but only on Russian territory.”

Ukraine launched its first significant cross-border offensive into Russia’s Kursk Oblast in August 2024 — the largest such operation on Russian soil since World War II. While Russia, aided by North Korean military personnel, has since regained most of the territory, Ukrainian forces continue to conduct limited operations in the area. On May 21, Ukraine’s General Staff reported that Ukrainian troops are holding their positions and inflicting casualties on Russian forces, despite challenging battlefield conditions.

Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi previously stated that the Kursk operation successfully disrupted Russian plans to establish a buffer zone inside Ukraine’s Sumy Oblast.

Putin’s renewed focus on border militarization comes as Russia once again rejects international calls for a ceasefire. During a May 19 phone conversation with U.S. President Donald Trump, Putin refused to agree to ceasefire terms proposed by Washington and European allies.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov reaffirmed Moscow’s hardline position, saying on Wednesday, “We don’t want this anymore,” in reference to ceasefire negotiations.

As Russia presses forward with its buffer zone initiative, fears mount that the conflict could further intensify, undermining already fragile prospects for peace in the region. (ILKHA)