Russian President Vladimir Putin just delivered a chilling warning to European powers, stating that if they initiated a war with Moscow, the resulting defeat would be so swift and absolute that there would be no one remaining to even broker a peace deal, according to CNN. This direct threat came after a reporter asked the president about comments circulating in Russian media.
The reporter brought up remarks allegedly made by Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto, who cautioned that Europe might be preparing for war against Russia. Putin immediately pushed back on the idea that Russia wants a war with Europe, but he emphasized their readiness. He stated that if Europe “suddenly wants to start a war with us and starts it,” it would end so swiftly for Europe that Russia would have no one left to negotiate with.
This threat comes nearly four years into the war in Ukraine. That conflict, the deadliest in Europe since World War II, has seen European powers and the United States heavily support Ukraine, a much smaller neighbor that Russia has failed to conquer completely.
Putin distinguishes the current conflict in Ukraine from a direct confrontation with European states
Putin suggested that the war in Ukraine is not actually a full-blown war, claiming Russia is acting in a “surgical” manner there. This careful framing implies that the methods and intensity used in Ukraine would not be repeated in a direct fight with European powers, suggesting a confrontation with Europe would be far more destructive.
For context on the scale of the current conflict, the invasion began in February 2022. It immediately triggered the largest confrontation between Russia and the West since the height of the Cold War. U.S. officials have stated that the war has resulted in the deaths of more than 1.2 million Russian and Ukrainian men, though neither Kyiv nor Moscow publicly discloses its losses.
On the diplomatic front, the political rhetoric is just as hot as the battle lines. Ukraine and European powers have repeatedly warned that if Putin wins the war in Ukraine, he might then attack a NATO member. Putin has repeatedly dismissed this claim as pure nonsense, but he shifted the blame for the lack of peace talks squarely onto European states.
Putin accused European powers of actively hindering the peace efforts being pursued by U.S. President Donald Trump. He claimed that European states are putting forward proposals they know are “absolutely unacceptable” to Moscow. Michael McGrath, the European commissioner for justice and democracy, recently warned that any final deal absolutely cannot let Russian forces off the hook for the war crimes they’ve committed.
According to Putin, they are using these doomed proposals as a way to then accuse Russia of not wanting peace. Putin also said that European states have essentially locked themselves out of any peace talks on Ukraine because “They are on the side of war.”
In addition to the warnings about a swift European defeat, Putin delivered a specific, new threat regarding the Black Sea. He threatened to sever Ukraine’s access to the sea entirely. This threat is in response to recent drone attacks targeting tankers belonging to Russia’s “shadow fleet.” Given the importance of the Black Sea for both military and economic activity, executing this threat would be a major escalation of the conflict.
Published: Dec 3, 2025 06:00 pm