Vladimir Putin has warned that Russia is ‘ready for war’ with Europe – but does not want one.
The Kremlin leader said he supports steps to restore relations with European countries following a phone call with his counterparts in Norway and Finland.
Responding to Western nations making preparations for possible conflict by 2030, Putin said: ‘We are ready for war with Europe, but we don’t want it.
‘As for them – if anyone desires such a thing, let them prepare.’
He added that the West had ‘failed to achieve their goal of inflicting a strategic defeat on Russia’.
The Russian president said ‘it is highly unlikely that this will be possible by 2030’ before warning: ‘If things go too far, there will be no winners at all.’
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Putin’s warning echoes similar comments he made earlier this month, when he said Russia was not planning to attack European countries but will respond to aggression with ‘all weapons’ in its arsenal.
He accused the West and Europe of escalating tensions by talking about preparing for a war with Moscow in the coming years, conducting military drills in the Baltic Sea, and seizing Russian vessels.
A series of drone strikes in the Black Sea off the coasts of NATO members Romania and Bulgaria in recent weeks has raised fears the Kremlin is seeking to escalate and test their support for Ukraine.
The Black Sea drone incidents in October are just the latest in a long string of drone airspace incursions to rock Romania and other NATO members since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion.
The leaders of Finland and Norway phoned Putin on Tuesday to urge him to end the war, breaking with a longstanding practice among Western leaders of shunning direct contact with the Kremlin.
The call by Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere was an attempt to influence the diplomatic process after US President Donald Trump shifted his position in favour of Russia and US ties with Ukraine hit their lowest point in 18 months.
Stoere said he and Stubb had spoken to Putin for about 90 minutes, and then to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
In a joint statement, they linked the initiative to planned peace discussions between Russian, Ukrainian and US officials in Abu Dhabi next month, their first since February.
‘The discussion (with Putin) was frank and substantive. We are neighbouring countries to Russia,’ Stubb said.
‘The outcome of this war will have a direct impact on our and the broader European security. Ending the war requires direct discussions.’
The Kremlin’s readout of the call did not suggest any softening of Putin’s position.
‘It was emphasised that achieving a just and long-term peace is possible only if the legitimate interests of the Russian Federation are fully and unconditionally taken into account,’ it said.
‘At the same time, attention was drawn to the confrontational policies of EU and NATO countries, which are contributing to the prolongation of the hostilities.’
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