Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday issued a sharp warning to European nations, claiming Moscow is “ready” for war if Europe chooses confrontation. His comments came at a sensitive diplomatic moment, just as senior US envoys arrived in Moscow for crucial discussions aimed at ending the nearly four-year conflict in Ukraine.
The remarks coincided with the visit of US envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner — former US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law — who are in Moscow for high-stakes negotiations intended to move forward a peace framework. Their visit follows several days of intense diplomacy involving Washington, Kyiv, and major European capitals.
Speaking to reporters in Moscow, Putin said, “We are not planning to go to war with Europe, but if Europe wants to and starts, we are ready right now.” He accused European leaders of escalating tensions and obstructing American-led peace efforts. “They have no peaceful agenda, they are on the side of war,” he added.
Putin further alleged that recent European amendments to Trump’s proposed peace plan were designed to derail negotiations. According to him, the revisions “aimed solely at one thing — to completely block the entire peace process and put forward demands that are absolutely unacceptable for Russia.”
The United States has circulated a 28-point draft peace proposal intended to end the conflict. The plan was subsequently modified after criticism from Kyiv and European governments, who argued that the original version conceded too much to Moscow’s maximalist territorial demands.
While Trump has strongly pushed for a swift deal, many European leaders fear that a rushed settlement could force Ukraine into painful concessions, particularly regarding occupied territories. They have repeatedly insisted that no peace agreement should undermine Ukraine’s sovereignty or reward Russian aggression.
Despite the tensions, US envoys are continuing their efforts to secure approval from both Moscow and Kyiv in hopes of finalising a deal.