Russian President Vladimir Putin threatened Europe with complete destruction if it starts a war against his country. Putin made the corresponding statement on Tuesday, December 2, to journalists in Moscow. In particular, he stated that although Russia does not intend to wage war with Europe, Moscow is ready for it.
“We do not plan to fight Europe, I have said it a hundred times. But if Europe suddenly wants to fight and starts the war, we are ready right now,” Putin said, quoted by the Russian news agency Interfax.
Regarding the possible consequences of Russia’s war with Europe, Putin noted that a situation could arise in which Russia would have no one to negotiate with.
In addition, Putin assured that Russia would be able to act in a war against Europe in a completely different way than in a war against Ukraine. “This is not Ukraine. We are acting surgically, carefully, with Ukraine, so (…) well, you understand,” Putin explained. According to him, the Russian aggression against Ukraine “is not a war in the direct, modern sense of the word.”
Putin criticizes Europeans for changes in the US peace plan
At the same time, the Russian president criticized the changes to the plan of US President Donald Trump proposed by Europe. He is sure that such proposals are aimed only at blocking the peace process.
“They (the Europeans) do not have a peace agenda. They are on the side of war. And even when they are trying to supposedly make some changes to Trump's proposal, we clearly see this, because these changes are aimed at only one thing: to block this whole peace process,” Putin is convinced.
Along with this, the Russian president claims that Europe has stopped contacts with Russia and is now hindering Washington. “The Europeans are not silent, they are offended that they were allegedly removed from the negotiations. But I want to note that no one removed them, they removed themselves. (…) We had close contact with them, after which they once abruptly cut off their contacts with Russia. This is their initiative,” Putin said.
However, he clearly stated that Russia assumes the return of Europe to the negotiations, but on the condition that the Europeans take into account the realities.