By Ben Aris in Berlin “Ukraine is part of Russia,” Russian President Vladimir Putin said in his keynote address at this year’s St Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) plenary session on June 20,

Moscow has hoped to mend relations with the United States while continuing to wage war in Ukraine, but Mr. Putin’s insistence on pushing his offensive has come at a diplomatic cost.

By Guy Faulconbridge and Vladimir Soldatkin ST PETERSBURG, Russia (Reuters) -Russian President Vladimir Putin quipped on Friday that in his view the whole of Ukraine was "ours" and cautioned that advancing Russian forces could take the Ukrainian city of Sumy as part of a bid to carve out a buffer zone along the border.

Vladimir Putin’s remarks came amid mounting fears of a nuclear disaster in the Middle East, particularly in light of ongoing Israel-Iran conflict.

Economy Minister Maxim Reshetnikov said earlier during the St. Petersburg Economic Forum that the economy is “on the verge of going into a recession.”