Russian President Vladimir Putin has declared that Russia is “ready” for war with Europe — even as he claimed Moscow does not seek conflict — intensifying tensions just as high-level talks over Ukraine’s future continue. Speaking on Tuesday ahead of a meeting with Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, envoys of Donald Trump, Putin accused European powers of obstructing peace efforts by pressing demands he deemed “absolutely unacceptable.”
“We are not planning to go to war with Europe,” Putin said, “but if Europe wants to — and starts — we are ready right now.” He urged that Europe lacks a peaceful agenda, claiming its governments were “on the side of war.”
The remarks came as US-led diplomacy attempts to end the nearly four-year war in Ukraine, with Washington pushing a revised peace plan through envoy talks in Moscow. Kremlin aides described the meeting as “productive but inconclusive,” with fundamental disagreements — especially over territorial control and security guarantees — still blocking a deal.
Against this fraught backdrop, the warning from Moscow underscores how fragile — and volatile — the diplomatic effort remains, even as European capitals push for a resolution that preserves Ukraine’s sovereignty.
