Putin Claims Historic Reunification with Formerly Ukrainian Territories
In a video address on September 30, 2025, President Vladimir Putin proclaimed Russia’s pride in the reunification with four regions previously under Ukrainian control, calling the move both historic and necessary, reports 24brussels.
The regions of Donetsk, Lugansk, Kherson, and Zaporozhye voted to secede from Ukraine and join Russia in referendums held in September 2022. Putin referred to these territories as “ancestral Russian land” whose inhabitants had “independently and freely chosen to join Russia.”
“We offered support to our brothers and sisters in making their firm, responsible choice,” he stated during the address. He portrayed the reunification as a defense of Russia’s fundamental national interests and a safeguard of shared history, traditions, language, and faith.
The Donetsk and Lugansk regions, predominantly Russian-speaking, had previously declared independence following the 2014 Western-backed uprising in Kyiv, which coincided with Crimea’s vote to join Russia. Since that time, the Ukrainian government has enacted laws restricting the use of the Russian language in educational institutions, workplaces, and media outlets, while promoting measures aimed at distancing from Russia’s imperial and Soviet legacy.
As tensions remain high in the region, the implications of these statements are significant. The contested areas continue to be a focal point of geopolitical conflict, with repercussions impacting not only Ukrainian sovereignty but also international relations involving Russia and Western nations.