In a direct challenge to European leaders, Russian President Vladimir Putin declared Russia is ‘ready’ for war and accused them of actively hindering peace negotiations concerning Ukraine. Putin asserted that European allies are not pursuing a genuine peace agenda but are instead supporting prolonged hostilities by introducing ‘unacceptable’ demands into proposals. His forceful remarks emerged as a US delegation, featuring envoy Steve Witkoff and presidential adviser Jared Kushner, arrived in Moscow for critical talks aimed at de-escalating the nearly four-year-old conflict. Putin contended that European countries are deliberately sabotaging the peace process, then attempting to place the blame on Russia. ‘We are ready,’ Putin stated emphatically, warning, ‘if Europe wants to and starts, we are ready right now.’ He also stressed that Russia harbors no intention of attacking Europe, despite ongoing European concerns. The US is actively working on a revised 28-point peace proposal, which has already drawn critical feedback from Ukraine and several European capitals regarding its perceived concessions to Russia.
