Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“We have no intention of waging war on Europe, but if Europe wishes to do so and starts, we are ready immediately”, says the Russian leader: Europeans “do not have a peace program, they are on the side of war”.
The Russian President, Vladimir Putinwarned this Tuesday that Russia is prepared to wage war with Europe if that is the Europeans’ intention, although it does not wish to do so.
“We have no intention of making war on Europe, but if Europe wishes to do so and starts, we are ready immediately”, Putin told journalists, according to the France-Presse (AFP) news agency.
Putin, who made the warning shortly before receiving US emissary Steve Witkoff, accused the Europeans of wanting to impede US efforts to put an end to .
“They don’t have a peace program, they are on the side of war”said the Russian leader.
The United States considered a first 28-point project 10 days ago, written without Kiev and without European allies.
The plan, aimed at putting an end to the conflict triggered by the Russian offensive against Ukraine in February 2022, substantially follows Washington’s meetings with Ukrainians and Europeans. The proposal was discussed again at a bilateral level on Sunday, in Florida, between delegations chaired by the head of US diplomacy, Marco Rubio, and the Ukrainian negotiator Rustem Umerov.
“Inadmissible” demands for Moscow
Putin also denounced that European countries, referring mainly to the E3 group (France, Germany and the United Kingdom), include in the plan unacceptable demands to Moscow with the sole aim of “blocking the entire peace process”.
“They present demands that are absolutely unacceptable to Russia. They understand this and blame Russia for rejecting this peace process,” he said.
“That’s their goal. We see that clearly,” said the Russian leader, also quoted by the Spanish news agency EFE.
Putin also accused Europeans of living “in the illusion” that they can inflict a “strategic defeat” on Russia.
Putin insisted this Tuesday that the Russian army is the bastion of Pokrovskin the Donetsk region (east), the biggest victory in more than three years of war, something that Kiev denies and assumes is “exaggerated”.
Last week, Putin had said that “if Ukrainian troops abandon the occupied territories” Russia will cease hostilities. “If they don’t leave, we will expel them by military force.” THE Russia claims the annexation of four territories (Donetsk, Lugansk, Kherson and Zaporizhia) which he does not control 100% at the moment, but Putin did not specify this Thursday which of these regions he was referring to.
