Russian President Vladimir Putin warned during a foreign policy forum in Sochi that Moscow would respond sharply to what he called the escalating “militarization of Europe,” saying Russia’s response would be “to put it mildly, quite significant.”
Putin cited Germany and quoted Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s desire for Germany to have “the strongest army in Europe,” saying he could not ignore such moves because of “Russia’s own security.”
He said European countries, through their policy of “constant escalation,” are responsible for Ukraine’s failure to achieve peace.
Putin’s remarks came as leaders met at an EU summit in Copenhagen aimed at strengthening aid to Ukraine and accelerating defense measures to ensure Europe can counter possible Russian attacks.
The meeting followed weeks in which Poland and Estonia faced Russian airspace violations and drones were spotted several times in Denmark. Moscow denies having anything to do with the incidents.
“All NATO countries are fighting against us, and they no longer hide that,” Putin said, and he dismissed fears among NATO members about Russian aggression as “nonsensical.”
He warned the United States that supplying Tomahawk cruise missiles to Ukraine would mean Washington was becoming militarily involved in the conflict because those missiles “would allow Ukraine to attack deep inside Russia,” he said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky emphatically asked his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump for Tomahawks and other long-range weapons during a meeting in New York last week, and Vice President JD Vance said afterwards that the U.S. was seriously considering them.
While threatening Europe, Putin praised Trump, saying the two “had discussed a solution to the war in Ukraine and the restoration of relations between their countries at the August summit in Alaska” and calling him “someone who can listen.” The U.S. president has been trying to end the war in Ukraine since his return in January, Putin said.
