‘There will be no winners’: Putin says Russia is ready for war with Europe but does not want one

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said Moscow is prepared for a war with Europe but does not want one, warning that any direct conflict between the two sides would leave no winners.

Speaking on Thursday, Putin said Russia supported efforts to restore relations with European countries but was ready to respond if they sought confrontation.

“We’re ready, but we do not want any war with Europe. But if some of them want to prepare for war, let them,” he said, responding to Western countries' preparations for a possible conflict with Russia by 2030.

“If it comes to a war between Russia and Europe, there will be no winners,” Putin said, urging European countries “not to forget that”.

He also claimed that the West had failed to achieve its goal of ensuring Russia's strategic defeat, The Telegraph reported.

Putin made the remarks after holding phone conversations earlier this week with Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre. He said the calls had been initiated by the European leaders and described the discussions as a step in the right direction.

In December 2025, Putin had expressed a similar position, saying Russia had no plans to fight Europe but was prepared to act if Europe initiated a war.

A US intelligence report leaked during the summer suggested that Russia could strike Nato's eastern flank within weeks to test the alliance's resolve.

According to the report, US officials believed Putin could seek to escalate tensions through a limited ground incursion, potentially into a Baltic country, or cyberattacks targeting eastern Europe.

Despite Putin's statements that he does not want a war with Europe, Russia has been testing European countries and Nato for months through a series of hybrid attacks, including incidents involving drones exploding in neighbouring countries.

The Telegraph reported this week that Russia plans to use the next round of Ukraine peace talks to seek concessions on Nato's expansion into eastern Europe, which Putin has described as the “root cause” of the war.

Putin is expected to demand a reduction in Nato's military presence in Europe, including the withdrawal of troops from Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Finland.

Meanwhile, British Defence Secretary Wes Streeting has warned that the country's adversaries could be in a position to launch an attack by 2030.