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Vladimir Putin has sworn to quickly retaliate against what he termed the “increasing military buildup across Europe”, while brushing off Western apprehensions that Moscow plans to attack Nato as “nonsense”.

Putin’s Remarks at Valdai

During a wide-ranging speech in Sochi on Thursday, Putin stated: “We are closely monitoring the escalating militarisation of Europe … We simply cannot ignore what is happening. We have no right to do so for reasons of our own security.”

“Undoubtedly that our responsive actions will not be far off,” he continued, addressing the annual Valdai meeting, an annual gathering of government figures and international analysts where Putin often presents his opinions on world events.

Copenhagen Meeting Amid Rising Tensions

His remarks came as numerous EU officials assembled in the Danish capital for a conference aimed at increasing backing for Ukraine and speeding up military initiatives intended to ensure the region is capable of deterring Moscow’s hostile actions.

The meeting followed recent unsettling events in which several European countries reported intrusions by Moscow’s drones and jets, fueling concerns that Russia was challenging Nato’s commitment.

The Russian Leader’s Conciliatory Tone Toward Trump

While threatening Europe, the Russian president adopted a friendly tone toward the former US president, regardless of the US leader’s recent disparaging remarks about him.

In what appeared to be an attempt to regain Trump’s approval, Putin highly commended him, claiming that “if Trump had been in power, the war in Ukraine could have been averted” – a line Trump has often used himself in official remarks.

The Kremlin and Kyiv have spent an extended period trying to court Trump over the ongoing hostilities, as the US leader has altered his approach multiple times.

In recent weeks, Ukraine appeared to come out ahead, with the US leader expressing disappointment in Putin for prolonging the fighting and dismissing Russia’s economy and military as a “weak opponent”.

US Policy Shift

According to reports, the US president recently authorised Washington’s security bodies to help Ukraine carry out strikes deep inside Russian territory – a step which would amount to a notable adjustment in American strategy under his guidance.

Zelenskyy has also advocated American authorities for long-range missile systems and other high-precision equipment capable of hitting targets up to 800 kilometers away.

Putin’s Response to Criticism

As on previous occasions when challenged by Trump, he ignored the remarks, seemingly counting on Trump to reconsider his stance.

He referred to the former president as a “easy partner” who knows “the art of listening” and said Moscow was seeking a “full-scale restoration” of relations with the US, lauding the previous US government for its “directness and lack of hypocrisy”.

Addressing the “paper tiger” comment, the president implied the remark might have been tongue-in-cheek, stating: “If we are comfortable being at war with the whole Nato bloc, but we’re a paper tiger, then what is Nato?”

War in Gaza

The Russian leader also praised the US initiative to conclude hostilities in the region, saying that ex-British leader Tony Blair – expected to play a central role in the plan – could “help achieve progress”.

He then diverted to reminisce about how he once stayed overnight at Blair’s home and the two had coffee together the next morning “in their pyjamas”.

Harsher Tone on European Leadership

The rhetoric was distinctly more critical when it came to Europe, with most of Putin’s ire directed at the continent, faulting “leaders in Europe” for obstructing peace in Ukraine and “whipping up hysteria” in the continent.

He said: “It turns out that war with the Russians is practically on the doorstep. They repeat this nonsense, this mantra, over and over again … They can’t believe what they’re saying, that Russia is going to attack Nato? They’re either incredibly incompetent if they truly believe it, because it’s impossible to believe this nonsense, or they’re simply dishonest.”

Tanker Incident

Putin also denounced the seizure by France this week of the crew on a tanker linked to Moscow which was suspected of serving as a starting point for drones that caused disruptions in Denmark last week.

He commented: “The tanker was seized without any grounds in neutral waters. This is piracy.”

War in Ukraine

Speaking about the ongoing fighting, there was no sign that the Russian leader was seeking dialogue or reducing his maximalist goal of compelling Ukraine’s surrender.

Although Moscow has made limited advances, he claimed that his troops were “making steady progress” along the complete battle zone.

He also claimed that Ukraine was suffering significantly more damage than Moscow – although international analysts put Moscow’s losses at close to a one million, exceeding Ukraine’s.

“In light of the high toll on Ukraine, Kyiv should carefully consider starting negotiations,” Putin said.

Zelenskyy’s Appeal

Participating in EU officials in Copenhagen, Zelenskyy said Russia was “increasing its aggressive moves” and called on the continent to show the “determination” to take immediate steps.

Zelenskyy emphasized: “Clearly, unified action and combined resources are needed to ensure security. No state should confront this risk in isolation.” He asked Europe to “intensify the sanctions and do so without delay, to push Russia into halting the conflict and revising its strategy”.