Putin: Russia does not want war with Europe but is ready for it

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on 29 October that Moscow does not want a military conflict with European countries but is ready for war, according to foreign media reports. His remarks also touched on the security situation in the Baltic Sea region, which borders several NATO and European Union states, including Latvia.

Reference to the Strait of Hormuz

Putin compared the security situation in the Baltic Sea with the war in the Middle East. According to him, Russia does not want the Baltic Sea region to face problems like those seen in the Strait of Hormuz. He also warned that Moscow would respond if provocations were directed against Russia. The source does not specify what he considers to be provocations.

Warning about a clash

Describing a possible war with European countries, Putin said: "We are ready, but we do not want it." He claimed that European leaders have failed to inflict a "strategic defeat" on Russia and are unlikely to achieve it by 2030.

Putin also cautioned the West that a direct military clash between Russia and Europe would have no winners. "There would be no winners," he said, adding that Europeans should not forget this.

The source does not say at which event or under what circumstances Putin made these statements.