The President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, announced that Moscow does not plan to start a war with European countries; however, he emphasized Russia’s full readiness for armed conflict if Europe initiates military actions.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Putin’s Statements on Possible Conflict with Europe
During a discussion on the geopolitical situation, Vladimir Putin noted that Russia allegedly has no intention of waging war against European countries. At the same time, he stressed that if Europe does start a war, Russia is ready to act immediately, having “no doubts” about its capabilities. The President of Russia compared a potential conflict with Europe to the war against Ukraine, highlighting the differences in scale and speed of possible actions.
“Russia does not intend to fight with European countries, but if Europe wants to fight us and starts – we are ready right now, there are no doubts about that. If Europe suddenly starts a war with us, I think it will be very quick. This is not Ukraine. With Ukraine – we are acting there in a surgical manner, carefully. This is not war in the direct modern sense of the word,” he said.
According to Putin, if a war with Europe begins, there may arise a situation where “there will be no one to negotiate with,” hinting at the possibility of rapid developments.
Context of the Statements and Reaction from European Leaders
These statements came ahead of negotiations between the Russian president and U.S. special envoy Steve Biegun, concerning a possible end to the war between Russia and Ukraine.
It is worth noting that since February 2022, the Russian Federation has been waging a full-scale war against Ukraine. In September of this year, NATO countries repeatedly accused Russia of violating the alliance’s airspace; however, Moscow rejects these accusations.
President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen emphasized that such violations are part of a deliberate campaign aimed at dividing European countries and weakening support for Ukraine.