Putin: Claims That Russia Intends to Attack Europe Are “Ridiculous”
Russian President Vladimir Putin dismissed Western allegations that Moscow plans to attack Europe, calling them “ridiculous” and an “outright lie.” He said Russia is ready to formally register the absence of any such intentions.
Putin added that he is uncertain how Russia would interact with the G7 under current circumstances. He recalled that Western countries themselves insisted Russia should not be part of the group, saying: “They told us, ‘We do not want you there,’ and thank God for that.” According to him, contacts with the G7 could become possible only if the U.S. plan for Ukraine is implemented, though he stressed it is too early to discuss this.
On the conflict in Ukraine, Putin said it would end when Ukrainian troops withdraw from the territories currently under Russian control. He claimed Ukraine lost 47,500 soldiers on the battlefield in October and that the pace of Russian forces’ advancement is increasing. Russian troops, he added, are showing “positive dynamics” across all front-line sectors.
Putin also described Ukraine’s mobilization measures as forced and argued that the gap between Kyiv’s battlefield losses and the number of troops it deploys is widening. Desertion within the Ukrainian military, he said, remains very high.
