Russian President Vladimir Putin delivered a sharp warning to Europe on Wednesday, ridiculing its leaders as “piglets” and asserting that Moscow would seize additional Ukrainian territory if Kyiv and its Western allies fail to engage with US-backed peace proposals.
Speaking at the Defence Ministry’s annual meeting, Putin claimed Russian forces were advancing across all fronts. He insisted that Russia would achieve the “liberation” of its so-called historical lands, either through diplomacy or by force, as US-led efforts to broker a resolution to the war remain stalled.
“If the opposing side and their foreign patrons refuse to engage in substantive discussions, Russia will achieve the liberation of its historical lands by military means,” Putin declared.
Stalled Peace Efforts and Western Concerns
The United States has been holding separate talks with Russia, Ukraine, and European leaders to explore potential solutions to the conflict, now in its fourth year, but no breakthrough has emerged. Kyiv and its European allies have repeatedly emphasised that any settlement requiring Ukrainian territorial concessions is unacceptable, while Ukraine continues to demand strong security guarantees.
Putin, however, signalled that Russia is prepared to press ahead regardless of Western pressure.
Currently, according to Reuters, Russia controls roughly 19% of Ukraine’s territory, including Crimea (annexed in 2014), most of the Donbas region, significant portions of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, and smaller areas in other regions. Moscow claims these territories as part of Russia, a stance Ukraine rejects and the international community largely refuses to recognise.
Defence Minister Andrei Belousov added that Russia plans to accelerate its offensive in 2026. A presentation during his address revealed that Russia spent 5.1% of its GDP on the war in 2025, highlighting the enormous scale of its military campaign.
Putin Blasts Europe for “Fearmongering”
In a striking rebuke, Putin accused European leaders of deliberately fanning tensions over the war. He singled out European politicians for criticism, claiming they were stoking hysteria by warning of a potential Russian attack on a NATO country.
“I have repeatedly stated: this is a lie, nonsense, pure nonsense about some imaginary Russian threat to European countries. But this is being done quite deliberately,” he said, adding that the Biden administration shared the same goal of undermining Russia.
Belousov echoed the remarks, accusing European powers of attempting to sabotage peace efforts and openly discussing the possibility of a war between Russia and NATO within the next few years.
“Such a policy creates real prerequisites for the continuation of military operations next year, 2026,” he warned.
Zelenskyy Calls for Action Against Russian Assets
In response, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged the nation’s allies to ensure that Russia’s war efforts ultimately fail.
“The outcome of these meetings, the outcome for Europe, must be such that Russia feels its desire to continue fighting next year will be pointless, because Ukraine will have support,” Zelenskyy said during his evening address, ahead of a key European Union summit.
Zelenskyy also renewed calls for the use of nearly $250 billion in frozen Russian sovereign assets held in the EU, most at Belgium’s Euroclear, to back loans for Ukraine. Last week, EU governments agreed to keep these assets frozen indefinitely, though some member states remain cautious about legal risks.
Meanwhile, the United States is reportedly preparing additional sanctions targeting Russia’s energy sector if Moscow refuses to accept a peace deal, according to Bloomberg. Measures under consideration include targeting vessels in Russia’s shadow oil fleet and traders involved in facilitating Russian oil exports.
