Putin says Russia is not preparing for any conflict with Europe
President Vladimir Putin told reporters in Saint-Pétersbourg that Russia is not getting ready for hostilities against the European Union.
During a press conference held in Saint-Pétersbourg alongside the International Culture Forum, President Vladimir Putin asserted that Russia is not preparing for any form of conflict with the European Union, countering weeks of red-alert warnings from European intelligence agencies. He criticized European expectations of Russian aggression, stating that such fears are misplaced. Putin added that, following the recent parliamentary victory of United Russia, the Kremlin will thoughtfully evaluate the prospect of resuming negotiations with Kyiv, despite what he called Ukrainian attempts to strike Russian territory and polling stations.
He claimed Russian retaliation had been so forceful that Kiev requested a cease-fire, and he reiterated that a peace agreement remains on the table. The president also warned that the rights of Russian-speaking minorities are being ignored in the Baltic states.
Why it matters
Putin's denial of plans to fight Europe influences EU security assessments and future peace negotiations with Ukraine.
How this story developed
- Sep 12 Russia conducts tightly-controlled parliamentary vote amid fifth year of Ukraine war
- Sep 16 Voting has begun, moving the election from planning to execution.
- Sep 19 Putin framed the election as a plebiscite on the war and called on citizens to turn out in support.
- Sep 19 State pollster VTsIOM said Putin’s trust rating hit 74.2% in the week before the election.
- Sep 21 Election commission chair Ella Pamfilova said preliminary results will be announced Monday at 11 hours (10 hours in Paris).
- Sep 21 Partial results show United Russia holding at least 338 of the 450 Duma seats.
- Sep 21 Preliminary results show United Russia winning 355 of the 450 State Duma seats, surpassing its previous 2016 high. The foreign ministries of the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Norway issued a joint statement condemning elections held in Crimea and the four Ukrainian regions seized by Russia as violations of Ukraine's sovereignty. They demanded accountability for those organizing the vote and urged Russia to end its war and accept an unconditional ceasefire. The same period saw France support the removal of oligarch Alisher Usmanov from the EU sanctions list, a move backed by Slovakia and linked to broader negotiations over detained French nationals in Azerbaijan.
- Sep 21 The Quai d’Orsay condemns holding the vote in the occupied territories of Crimea and the Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions, calling it a violation of international law and the UN Charter and stating Fran
- Sep 21 Western allies issued a joint declaration condemning the election as a breach of Ukraine’s sovereignty.
- Sep 23 Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the United States will invite President Vladimir Putin to the December G20 summit in Miami, while President Volodymyr Zelensky urged Russia to accept a maritime cease-fire proposal for the Black Sea.
- Sep 23 U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the invitation to Putin for the December G20 summit in Miami.
- Sep 24 Reports allege that corporate managers pressured staff to vote for United Russia, suggesting coercion in the electoral process.
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