Russian President Vladimir Putin warned European countries against further escalation with Russia, saying Moscow was ready to respond to growing military threats while also expressing readiness to restore relations with European neighbours.
Speaking at a meeting of the Military-Industrial Commission on September 18, Putin said Russia had taken note of European military exercises in the Baltic Sea, including drills that he said involved practising the seizure of civilian ships. He contrasted the exercises with European criticism of events in the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
“I feel like saying to them: let’s live in peace, otherwise we too will have to respond,” Putin said, according to TASS.
Putin also claimed that NATO was expanding into new regions and that some European leaders were openly preparing for war with Russia. He accused those leaders of using confrontation with Moscow to distract from domestic economic and social problems and declining public approval.
According to Putin, European governments should instead listen to voters who, he said, had shown at elections that they did not want war with Russia. He argued that continued escalation was failing to resolve their domestic problems.
At the same time, Putin said Russia had “no aggressive intentions” towards Europe and that there were no grounds for such intentions. He said Moscow was ready to cooperate and restore relations with its European neighbours.
The remarks came alongside a discussion of Russia’s military capabilities. Putin praised the country’s Strategic Missile Forces as the most modern in the world and said the updated armaments programme would prioritise the nuclear triad and air defence. He also ordered the completion of a satellite network for military command and other purposes.
Putin’s comments signal that Moscow intends to combine warnings about possible military responses with an offer to restore relations with European countries, while continuing to strengthen Russia’s strategic military capabilities.
