Putin Vows to Respond to Europe’s Militarization and Rejects Accusations of Preparing an Attack on NATO

Vladimir Putin vowed to respond swiftly to the “increasing militarization of Europe,” while at the same time dismissing as “nonsense” Western concerns that Moscow is preparing to attack NATO.

Speaking Thursday in Sochi at a session of the Valdai Club, where he traditionally outlines his vision of world affairs, the Russian president said: “We are closely monitoring the growing militarization of Europe… We cannot turn a blind eye to this. For reasons of our own security, we have no right to ignore it.” He added that “no one doubts that Russia’s countermeasures will not be long in coming.”

His remarks came against the backdrop of a summit in Copenhagen, where 45 European leaders gathered to discuss support for Ukraine and to accelerate defense projects aimed at enabling Europe to deter potential Russian aggression. The meeting followed a series of incidents in which several countries reported flights of Russian drones and aircraft, heightening suspicions that Moscow was testing NATO’s readiness to respond.

Alongside his warnings to Europe, Putin also extended an overture to Donald Trump, despite the latter’s recent sharp statements. Seeking to win favor with the former U.S. president, Putin said that “if Trump had been in power, the conflict in Ukraine could have been avoided”—a formulation Trump himself has often repeated in public remarks.

In recent months, both Moscow and Volodymyr Zelensky have sought to establish contact with Donald Trump, who has repeatedly shifted his stance on the war in Ukraine.

In recent weeks, the initiative appeared to tilt toward Kyiv. Donald Trump publicly voiced frustration that Vladimir Putin was prolonging the war, calling Russia’s economy and military a “paper tiger.” According to The Wall Street Journal, the U.S. president recently authorized intelligence agencies and the Pentagon to assist Ukraine in striking deep inside Russian territory—a step that would mark a significant shift in American policy.

Volodymyr Zelensky, for his part, pressed Washington for deliveries of Tomahawk cruise missiles, Barracuda systems, and other long-range weapons capable of hitting targets up to 500 miles away.

As before when faced with criticism from Trump, Putin opted not to escalate, calculating that the American leader might change his position. He described Trump as a “convenient interlocutor” who “knows how to listen” and spoke of Moscow’s desire for a “full-scale restoration” of relations with the United States, praising Trump’s administration for its “candor and lack of hypocrisy.” Responding to the “paper tiger” remark, the Russian president suggested it might have been said ironically: “If we are fighting the entire NATO bloc and yet are a paper tiger, then what is NATO?”

Putin also endorsed Trump’s plan for resolving the war in Gaza, noting that former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who is assigned a central role in the initiative, could “play a positive role.” Continuing on the theme, he recalled once spending the night at Blair’s house and having coffee together the next morning “in pajamas.”

His tone shifted sharply when the discussion turned to Europe. Putin’s main criticism was aimed at “European elites,” whom he accused of obstructing a peaceful settlement in Ukraine and of “whipping up hysteria” across the continent. “It turns out that war with the Russians is literally at the doorstep. They repeat this nonsense, this mantra again and again… Do they really believe that Russia is about to attack NATO? If they truly believe it, then they are completely incompetent, because it’s impossible to believe. And if they don’t believe it, then they are simply lying,” he said.

He sharply condemned the arrest in France of the crew of a Russian tanker from the so-called “shadow fleet,” which investigators said had been used to launch drones that paralyzed airports in Denmark. Putin declared: “The tanker was seized without any grounds in neutral waters. This is piracy.”

As for the war against Ukraine, there were no signs of compromise in his remarks. Despite limited gains on the battlefield, Putin insisted that Russian forces were “confidently advancing” along the entire front line. He also claimed that Ukraine’s losses were far greater than Russia’s, though Western estimates put Russian casualties close to one million and higher than Ukraine’s. “Given Ukraine’s losses, Kyiv should seriously consider starting negotiations,” he said.

Speaking in Copenhagen at a meeting with European leaders, Zelensky stressed that Russia is “intensifying its destructive actions” and that Europe must show “political will” and act immediately. “We can clearly see that only joint steps and united efforts can guarantee real security. No country should be left alone in the face of this threat,” the Ukrainian president said. He urged Europeans to “increase the pressure, increase the pressure right now, so that Russia is forced to end the war and change its policy.”