Russia is prepared for war with Europe but does not want one, Vladimir Putin said.
Speaking after a call with the leaders of Norway and Finland, the Russian leader said he supports steps aimed at restoring relations with European countries.
But he added that Russia was prepared for a potential war with Europe, warning that if tensions escalated too far there would be no winners.
“We’re ready, but we do not want any war with Europe, [but] if some of them want to prepare for war, let them,” he said, responding to Western nations preparing for a possible conflict with Russia by 2030.
In December 2025, Putin stated a similar position, saying: “We are not planning to fight Europe. But if Europe suddenly decides to wage war against us and starts it, we are ready right now.”
On Thursday, Putin said that the West had failed to achieve its goal of ensuring Russia’s strategic defeat.
“If it comes to a war between Russia and Europe, there will be no winners,” the Russian president said. He urged European countries “not to forget that.”
Earlier this week, Putin spoke with Alexander Stubb, the Finnish president, and Jonas Gahr Støre, the Norwegian prime minister, on the phone.
The Russian leader said the invitation for the call came from the European leaders and called the discussions a step in the right direction.
A US intelligence report which was leaked in the summer suggested that Russia could strike Nato’s eastern flank within weeks to test the alliance’s resolve.
American officials believed Putin could attempt to escalate tensions by mounting a small land incursion – probably into a Baltic nation – or launching cyber-attacks across eastern Europe.
Despite his talk of not wanting a war with Europe, Russia has been testing European nations and Nato for months through a series of hybrid attacks including drones exploding in neighbouring countries.
The Telegraph reported this week that Russia plans to use the next round of Ukraine peace talks to win concessions over Nato expansion to Eastern Europe, which Putin has called the “root cause” of the war.
Putin will probably demand that Nato’s footprint in Europe be reduced, meaning a withdrawal of Nato troops from Poland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania and Finland.
Wes Streeting, the Defence Secretary, warned that Britain’s enemies could be in a position to attack by 2030.
Writing in The Telegraph, the Defence Secretary said: “To prevent the worst, we have to prepare for it. In the first instance, that means expanding our capabilities so our adversaries think twice about attacking us. Should that fail, we must ensure that Britain is ready for war.”
Source: www.yahoo.com
