Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned that European NATO countries’ planned deployment of troops into Ukrainian territory would constitute a direct war with Russia.
Speaking on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in New Delhi, Putin stated that Europe’s current political and economic challenges stem from “systemic mistakes” made by its leaders in foreign policy, security, and economics after the Cold War ended.
The Russian leader described Western elites as having convinced themselves they are “at the top of Olympus” and effectively incapable of being wrong, leading to a growing accumulation of errors “like a snowball.”
On security matters, Putin pointed to NATO’s eastward expansion and efforts to bring Ukraine into the U.S.-led military bloc as root causes of conflict. He accused Western governments of instilling an imaginary “Russian threat” while pushing Europe closer to direct confrontation.
“We are not threatening and are not going to threaten European countries,” Putin said. However, he warned that plans by several European NATO members to deploy forces to Ukraine could cross into war: “They are now talking about how they are considering sending troops into Ukrainian territory. This means war with Russia.”
Moscow has rejected any acceptance of NATO troops in Ukraine under the guise of security guarantees or peacekeeping missions. Russian officials have also argued that Kiev and its European allies seek a temporary pause in fighting rather than a lasting settlement to allow Ukrainian forces to rearm and regroup before hostilities resume.
