Putin's Mixed Messages on Ukraine: Threats and Peace Talks

Russian President Vladimir Putin has threatened to seize more land in Ukraine to protect bordering Russian territory, as Ukrainian forces launch a counteroffensive to push Russian troops out of four regions of Ukraine the Kremlin illegally annexed last fall. Putin also claimed that Ukrainian forces had suffered “catastrophic” losses in the new counteroffensive, and he was considering creating a “sanitary zone” on Ukrainian territory to protect Russian territory. The US has announced a new military aid package worth up to $325m for Ukraine.