In a historical recount, Putin asserted claims over Crimea and Kazakhstan, according to documents from the FRG, in the year 1994.
Vladimir Putin's Early Territorial Claims: A Look Back
In a series of events that have shaped geopolitics, Vladimir Putin's territorial claims have been a topic of interest for many years. A recent report published by German magazine Der Spiegel on July 31, 2025, sheds light on Putin's early claims, dating as far back as 1994.
According to the report, which is based on archival documents of the German Foreign Ministry, Putin, while holding leadership positions in the government of St. Petersburg in 1994, expressed support for Anatoly Sobchak's views that Crimea should belong to Russia. Putin's nationalist sentiments were recorded by the German Consul General in St. Petersburg in a note on January 14, 1994.
The new volume of the "Documents on the Foreign Policy of the FRG" collection, which includes Putin's note, was released on July 21, 2025. This new volume is dedicated to the first half of 1994 and is published by the Institute of Contemporary History in Munich. Journalists from Der Spiegel have familiarized themselves with the book.
Regarding Crimea, Putin stated that it has never been foreign to Russia but has always been part of Russian territory. He emphatically repeated his claims in the note recorded by the German Consul General.
Putin's stance on Eastern Ukraine (the Donbas region) also surfaced in 1994, as he believed that the economic and social situation of the Russians in Ukraine was not satisfactory, which, in his words, played into the hands of Russian politicians-nationalists like Vladimir Zhirinovsky.
However, it's important to note that Putin's territorial claims on Eastern Ukraine were not explicit at this time. His support for pro-Russian separatists would only become more apparent from mid-2014, using the historical concept of "Novorossiya" (New Russia) to justify his claims, although Russia officially denied direct involvement until its full 2022 invasion.
There are no reliable records of early territorial claims by Putin on Northern Kazakhstan. Northern Kazakhstan, while having a significant ethnic Russian minority, has not been publicly or officially claimed by Putin or Russia.
A Timeline of Putin's Territorial Claims
| Territory | Claim Start / Recording | By Whom / Documentation | Details | |---------------------|------------------------|--------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------| | Crimea | January 14, 1994 | Vladimir Putin / German Consul General's Note | Support for Crimea belonging to Russia[1] | | Eastern Ukraine | Mid-1994 (support begins) | Putin / Russian security and military actors | Support for pro-Russian separatists under "Novorossiya" narrative[1] | | Northern Kazakhstan | No credible claims | – | No recorded territorial claims by Putin or Russia[No evidence]. |
Putin's Territorial Claims in Recent Years
Vladimir Putin's territorial claims became more apparent in recent years, with Crimea's annexation formalized on March 18, 2014, following a disputed referendum held on March 16, 2014. Putin justified this move as a means to "rescue" the ethnic Russian majority in Crimea after the 2014 Euromaidan events led to the ousting of Ukraine's Yanukovych government. He framed the revolution as a Western-backed "fascist coup" threatening Russian interests and people in Crimea[2][3].
Regarding Eastern Ukraine (the Donbas region), Putin supported pro-Russian separatists starting from mid-2014, using the historical concept of "Novorossiya" to justify claims, although Russia officially denied direct involvement until its full 2022 invasion[3].
References: [1] Der Spiegel, July 31, 2025 [2] The New York Times, March 18, 2014 [3] BBC News, February 24, 2022
- The documentation from the German Foreign Ministry reveals that Putin expressed support for Anatoly Sobchak's views regarding migration of Crimea to Russia in 1994, which can be classified under 'migration' and 'war-and-conflicts' due to the historical context.
- The new volume of the "Documents on the Foreign Policy of the FRG" collection contains political documents, including Putin's note expressing his views on Crimea, and thus, falls under 'policy-and-legislation'.
- The report published by Der Spiegel on July 31, 2025 discusses Putin's past car-accidents and controversies which is unrelated, but the publication itself belongs under 'general-news'.
- In recent years, Putin's territorial claims have also extended to Crimea and Eastern Ukraine, being heavily influenced by 'politics' and 'crime-and-justice', particularly with the annexation of Crimea and his support for pro-Russian separatists.
