Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Sunday that Ukraine would eventually lose its western territories and reiterated that Russia would emerge victorious in the war, while defending Moscow's invasion and repeating longstanding historical and political narratives about Ukraine.

Speaking during a meeting with Russian Navy personnel, Putin asserted that Russia had not acted as an aggressor but had been "forced" to launch what Moscow refers to as its "special military operation" (SMO) in Ukraine. The Kremlin uses the term "special military operation" to describe its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which began in February 2022.

According to Russian state media, Putin argued that Ukraine's western regions would "sooner or later" cease to be part of the country.

"I'm certain that sooner or later Ukraine will lose these western lands," Putin said, adding that territories historically associated with Poland, Hungary and Romania would eventually "fall back into place."

He did not explain how or why such territorial changes would occur.

Putin also repeated disputed historical claims regarding Ukraine's borders, alleging that Soviet leader Joseph Stalin incorporated western territories into Ukraine as part of the Soviet Union rather than as an independent Ukrainian state.

The Russian leader further claimed that Russia had historically been the only guarantor of Ukraine's territorial integrity, accusing Kyiv of turning Russia into an enemy despite what he described as close historical ties between the two nations.

In his remarks, Putin argued that the eastern, or left-bank, region of Ukraine had "always been considered part of Russia" and claimed that Soviet founder Vladimir Lenin had transferred the Donbas region to Ukraine. He said Russia was now restoring what he called the "normal historical course."

Addressing the ongoing war, Putin expressed confidence that Russia would ultimately achieve victory, stating that the conflict would end with "the enemy defeated and Russia victorious."

He also alleged that Ukraine's political leadership was deeply divided, claiming that officials were engaged in internal disputes over financial resources and lacked national unity.

Putin's latest comments come as fighting continues along multiple fronts in eastern and southern Ukraine, with both Russia and Ukraine reporting ongoing military operations. Kyiv has consistently rejected Moscow's historical claims and maintains that Russia's invasion is an illegal act of aggression aimed at violating Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity. (ILKHA)