'If you want war...': Putin warns Europe amid non-substantial US–Russia talks' talks on Ukraine

 

President Vladimir Putin issued one of his starkest warnings yet to European capitals on Tuesday, declaring that if Europe chose to enter a war with Russia, Moscow was fully prepared to fight, and that any such conflict would end so decisively that “there would be no one left to negotiate with.”

The remarks came just hours before Russia and the United States acknowledged they had failed to narrow their differences during a five-hour Kremlin meeting on a possible Ukraine peace deal.

Putin’s comments surfaced as the war approaches its fourth year, the deadliest conflict on European soil since World War Two. Despite Russia’s advances, Moscow has not achieved its strategic objectives and continues to face entrenched resistance from Ukraine, which remains backed by the United States and European allies.

Ukraine and several European governments have repeatedly warned that a Russian victory could embolden Moscow to strike a NATO member, an assessment Putin has dismissed as “nonsense.” Responding to reports that Hungary’s foreign minister had warned of Europe preparing for war, Putin said Russia did not seek such a confrontation.

But he added a blunt caveat: “If Europe suddenly wants to start a war with us and starts it… it would end so swiftly for Europe that Russia would have no one left to negotiate with.”

Putin accuses Europe of blocking Trump’s peace effort

Putin accused European states of undermining U.S. President Donald Trump’s attempts to broker a settlement, saying they were submitting proposals “absolutely unacceptable” to Moscow to create the appearance that Russia was unwilling to negotiate. “They are on the side of war,” he said, arguing that Europe had effectively shut itself out of the peace process by severing channels with Moscow.

The Kremlin confirmed that Russia and the United States failed to bridge key differences during a five-hour meeting between Putin and Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff. Putin’s foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov said, “We are no closer to resolving the crisis in Ukraine, and there is much work to be done.”

High-stakes meeting ends without progress

The talks, one of the most significant U.S.–Russia exchanges since the war began, stretched past midnight and included Ushakov and investment envoy Kirill Dmitriev. Ushakov later described the discussions as “productive” but admitted they produced “no breakthrough”.

“The discussion was confidential,” he said. “We agreed not to disclose the substance of the negotiations.” He added that no compromise had been reached on territorial issues, despite new proposals brought by the American side. Putin, he said, asked Witkoff to relay “a number of important political signals” to President Trump.

Trump told a cabinet meeting in Washington the envoys were in Moscow “to see if we can get it settled,” acknowledging the difficulty of the task. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who has been revising the American peace framework to address concerns from Kyiv and European leaders, said the Witkoff mission was focused on finding a viable path to end the conflict.

Ukraine: ‘No games behind our back’

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, speaking in Dublin, stressed that Kyiv expected transparency from all sides. “There will be no easy solutions. It is important that everything is fair and open, so that there are no games behind Ukraine’s back,” he said. Kyiv, he added, awaited quick updates from the U.S. delegation.

According to Reuters, Russia currently controls about 19 per cent of Ukrainian territory, roughly 115,600 sq km, only a marginal increase compared to two years ago. Despite gains in 2025, Russia remains far short of its broader military aims.