Putin, who made the warning shortly before receiving US emissary Steve Witkoff, accused Europeans of wanting to impede US efforts to end the war in Ukraine. “They don’t have a peace program, they are on the side of war“, said the Russian leader.
Russian President Vladimir Putin warned this Tuesday that Russia is prepared to wage war with Europe if that is what the Europeans want, although it does not want it.
“We have no intention of waging war on Europe, but if Europe wishes to do so and starts, we are ready immediately,” Putin told reporters, according to the France-Presse (AFP) news agency.
Putin, who made the warning shortly before receiving US emissary Steve Witkoff, accused Europeans of wanting to impede US efforts to end the war in Ukraine. “They don’t have a peace program, they are on the side of war“, said the Russian leader.
The United States presented a first 28-point project 10 days ago considered very favorable to Moscow, written without Kiev and its European allies. The plan, aimed at putting an end to the conflict triggered by the Russian offensive against Ukraine in February 2022, fhi changed substantially after Washington’s meetings with Ukrainians and Europeans.
“They present demands that are absolutely unacceptable for Russia”
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.
Putin denounced that European countries, mainly referring to France, Germany and the United Kingdom, include unacceptable demands for Moscow in the plan with the sole aim of “block 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 stated. “That is your goal. We see it clearly“, said the Russian leader, also quoted by the Spanish news agency EFE.
He also accused Europeans of living “in illusion” that they can inflict on Russia a “strategic defeat.” Putin also insisted that the Russian army took the Pokrovsk bastion, in the Donetsk region (east), the biggest victory in more than three years of war, something that Kiev denies.
