Russia wants demilitarized buffer zones in Ukraine - Medvedev

Russia wants to create demilitarized buffer zones inside Ukraine around new Russian regions, an ally of President Vladimir Putin said on Friday, saying it might be necessary to push deeper into Ukraine if such zones cannot be set up.

Former President Dmitry Medvedev, who casts himself as Putin’s most publicly hawkish official, said Russia needed demilitarized corridors around the new Russian regions it is claiming - and which Ukraine says it will never accept Russian control of.