Edith HejbergPutin accused European countries that back Ukraine of deliberately blocking peace negotiations.
Speaking in Moscow, Russian President Vladimir Putin declared that while Russia does not seek war with Europe, it is fully prepared to fight if necessary.
“We do not want war with Europe, but if Europe wants it and starts it, then we are ready right now,” he stated firmly during a press event ahead of a Kremlin meeting with U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff.
Accusing Europe of sabotaging peace efforts
Putin accused European countries that back Ukraine of deliberately blocking peace negotiations.
He claimed they make demands they know are “absolutely unacceptable” to Russia, only to then blame Moscow for refusing to cooperate. According to him, their real agenda is to obstruct peace entirely.
Europeans “excluded themselves” from peace talks, Putin says
The Russian president pushed back against European complaints of being left out of peace efforts.
He argued they removed themselves from the process by siding with Ukraine and undermining U.S. peace initiatives. “They are not interested in peace. They are on the side of war,” he said.
Putin doubles down on warning: “We’re ready now”
Reiterating his earlier message, Putin emphasized that Russia is ready for confrontation at any moment.
He warned that European hopes of defeating Russia are delusional and called on them to “return to reality” and accept the current military situation on the ground.
Ukraine accused of piracy in Black Sea
Putin leveled a serious accusation at Ukraine, claiming it engaged in piracy by launching drone attacks on Russian merchant ships.
He warned that Moscow could expand its military strikes to include ships entering Ukrainian ports, even those from Western nations.
Threat to cut off Ukraine’s access to the sea
In one of his most extreme remarks, Putin threatened to completely block Ukraine’s access to the Black Sea.
He suggested that this would eliminate what he called Ukraine’s acts of “piracy” and prevent future attacks on Russian shipping.
Russia may target foreign ships helping Ukraine
The Russian leader issued a stark warning: countries aiding Ukraine in attacks at sea could face retaliation.
“We will consider retaliatory measures against ships from those countries that help Ukraine commit these acts of piracy,” he said, though he stopped short of confirming such action.
Moscow ramps up anti-Western rhetoric
Alongside Putin’s threats, they condemned what they described as attempts to revive “militarism” in Europe and Japan.
Shoigu lashes out at Europe and Japan over “militarist revival”
In a pointed statement, Russia’s Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu accused European countries and Japan of trying to “avenge past defeats” and revive militarist ideologies. “The hydra of militarism is raising its head again,” he warned during a meeting in Moscow. Shoigu claimed Russia has the experience to stop it, invoking World War II-era language to frame the West as a renewed threat.
Putin’s real goal? Intimidate Europe into backing down
According to Sky News military analyst Michael Clarke, Putin’s aggressive messaging is designed to rattle European governments and publics.
“He is trying to scare Europeans into dropping their support for Ukraine,” Clarke said, noting that public opinion in Germany and parts of Eastern Europe is already shifting.
Hoping to shake American resolve as well
Clarke believes Putin also hopes to undermine the U.S. role in Europe by painting the region as heading toward war.
The Kremlin seems to be betting that Americans, especially under a potential second Trump administration, won’t commit to defending Europe in a full-scale confrontation with Russia.
European doubts about U.S. support grow
Putin’s strategy may be working. Clarke argues that some Europeans are increasingly skeptical that the U.S. would stand by them if war with Russia broke out.
While the expectation is that America should step in, many fear it simply won’t, particularly under Trump’s foreign policy approach.
A calculated pressure campaign
The analysis paints Putin’s recent rhetoric not as a declaration of war, but as a high-stakes pressure tactic.
By escalating threats while claiming peace as his goal, Putin aims to fracture Western unity, intimidate allies, and tilt the balance in Russia’s favour—without firing a shot.
