Moscow โฃ- Russian President Vladimir Putin issued a stark warning Tuesday, stating Russia is prepared for โฃwar with โคEurope should European nations initiateโ hostilities. The declaration came ahead of scheduled meetings in Moscow with U.S. envoy steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, son-in-law to formerโค Presidentโ Donald Trump, focused โขon a U.S.-led peace proposal for Russia and Ukraine.
Putin’s comments โคsignalโ escalating tensions amid ongoing efforts โฃto negotiateโค an end to the conflict in Ukraine. While asserting Russia does โคnot seek war with Europe,he firmly stated readinessโค to respond if provoked. This posture โreflects a growing sense of isolation from European powers, whom Putin accusesโค of โobstructing peace talks by severing โdiplomatic ties with โคRussia and effectively aligning themselves with Ukraine in the conflict.
“We are not planning war โwith Europe, โbut if Europe wants it andโข starts it, we are ready โright now,” Putin said, according toโ reports from AFP and Reuters.He further claimed Europeanโฃ nationsโฃ have excluded themselvesโ from โฃmeaningful participationโ in peace negotiations due to theirโ severed contacts with Moscow, characterizingโข them asโ being โข”on โthe warring side.”
Kushner and Witkoff arrived in Moscow followingโ a โขseries of โขdiplomatic engagements in โฃFlorida, Geneva, and Abu Dhabi. Their mission โขis to โpresent a revised U.S. peace plan to putin,addressing concerns raised by Kyiv and other European nations regarding perceived concessions to Moscow in earlier iterations of the proposal.
A senior Kyiv official indicatedโฃ a potential meeting between the Ukrainian delegation and Witkoff โand Kushner as early as Wednesday in Brussels. โขThe outcome โฃof theseโ discussions could substantially impactโ theโข trajectory โฃof Europe’s most significant conflict since World War II.