Speaking to senior officials on Friday, President Vladimir Putin said Russia has no aggressive intentions toward European countries and that Moscow remains ready to restore relations and cooperate with its neighbours, but he blamed European leaders for escalating the dispute instead of listening to their own citizens.
Putin added that NATO’s ongoing enlargement fuels the danger, noting that some European politicians are openly discussing preparations for a possible war with Russia, a narrative he described as reckless and destabilising.
In a separate address, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warned that hybrid threats are becoming “less hybrid and more tangible,” citing recent cyber‑attacks, sabotage, arson and drone incidents that she said involved Russian operatives.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov countered the EU’s accusations, arguing that European governments are portraying Russia as an external enemy to justify higher defence spending and to persuade their populations to accept the associated costs.
The exchange comes more than four and a half years after Russia launched its full‑scale invasion of Ukraine, a conflict that has sharpened security concerns across the continent and prompted the EU to label Russian activities as a growing security threat.
Analysts say the rhetoric underscores a deepening diplomatic rift that could spur further increases in European defence budgets, reinforce NATO’s resolve to expand, and limit any near‑term prospects for de‑escalation between Moscow and the West.