Putin declares Russia 'ready for war' with Europe but warns there'll be 'no winners'
Key Points:
- Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that Russia is ready for war with Europe but does not desire conflict, warning that any such war would have no winners.
- Putin revealed recent conversations with Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gar Støre, describing these talks as positive steps initiated by European leaders, though he provided no further details.
- He claimed Europe has failed to achieve a strategic defeat of Russia and doubted this would be possible by 2030, despite Western intelligence warnings about Russia potentially gaining the capability to attack NATO by then.
- UK Defence Secretary Wes Streeting emphasized the need for Britain and NATO to strengthen their defenses by 2030 to prepare for possible Russian aggression, urging readiness to "fight and win" if necessary.
- Putin expressed support for restoring relations with Europe and highlighted Russia's commitment to learning from the lessons of the World Wars to avoid repeating such devastating conflicts.