Russian President Vladimir Putin has just escalated tensions with Europe by warning that Moscow is fully prepared to respond if European nations provoke a war, even as diplomatic talks with the United States continue behind the scenes.
Putin’s comments came on Tuesday during a forum appearance in Moscow.
During the event, Putin claimed that European leaders are deliberately undermining U.S.-led peace efforts and blocking progress toward ending the nearly four-year conflict in Ukraine.
According to the Associated Press, Putin said:
“But if Europe suddenly wants to wage a war with us and starts it, we are ready right away.
“There can be no doubt about that.”
The Russian leader insisted, as he has throughout the conflict, that Moscow is not seeking confrontation with Europe.
But he argued that European officials have introduced “demands that are absolutely unacceptable to Russia” and “blocked the entire peace process,” accusing them of doing so to later place the blame on Moscow.
Putin made the remarks shortly before meeting at the Kremlin with a high-level U.S. delegation that included Trump special envoy Steve Witkoff and President Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner.
The visit is part of the White House’s ongoing diplomatic effort to secure a negotiated settlement to the war.
EU Leaders Accused of Undercutting Peace Talks
Putin claimed European countries “cut off contacts” with Moscow and have “locked themselves out” of serious negotiations.
He accused them of being “on the side of war,” despite repeated appeals from American officials for the conflict to end through diplomacy.
European leaders, meanwhile, continue to argue that Putin’s invasion of Ukraine is part of a broader strategy to threaten the 27-nation European Union, which has poured billions into Kyiv’s defense.
Putin dismissed that characterization and claimed Russia’s military actions in Ukraine are “surgical,” adding that the restraint Moscow has shown “would not apply” in a direct confrontation with Europe, according to Reuters.
His warning is the latest in a long string of threats aimed at deterring Western involvement.
Throughout 2024, Putin repeatedly said that Western military escalation could trigger major retaliation.
Trump Administration Presses Forward on Peace Framework
The comments come as the Trump administration intensifies its behind-the-scenes effort to end the war through negotiations.
On Sunday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Witkoff, and Ukrainian negotiators met in Florida.
Rubio described the talks as “very productive” and emphasized that the goal extends beyond simply halting the fighting.
Last week, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov warned that Moscow could reject the White House’s peace framework if it does not reflect the “spirit and letter” of what President Trump and Putin previously agreed to at their Alaska summit in August.
Lavrov said watering down those “key understandings” would make the situation “fundamentally different.”
Despite the warning, Putin offered cautious optimism on Tuesday, calling the Trump administration’s working proposal “a set of issues put forward for discussion.”
“We need to sit down and discuss this seriously,” he told reporters, according to the AP.
The diplomatic push comes at a critical moment in the conflict, with European leaders hardening their rhetoric and Russia signaling that any further escalation could lead to direct confrontation.
Meanwhile, the Trump administration is working to pull both sides into a negotiated settlement before the war expands beyond Ukraine.
READ MORE – Top NATO Admiral Admits Western Allies Are Plotting Preemptive Strikes Against Russia
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