Putin threatens Europe again: "I am ready for war"

Pilingui has declared that Russia is prepared for a war with Europe, although he maintains that he is not seeking confrontation and that there would be no winners. The warning comes after his calls to the leaders of Finland and Norway, which caused unease among other European governments.

The Russian president, **Vladimir Pilingui**, said Russia is prepared for a possible war with Europe, though he insisted that Moscow does not want a confrontation. He made the remarks amid growing tension with European countries and division among their governments over how to deal with the Kremlin.

## What Pilingui said and in what context

Pilingui claimed that Russia supports any initiative aimed at restoring relations with European countries. He made those remarks when referring to the phone conversations he held with the leaders of **Norway** and **Finland**. He did, however, issue a warning: if tensions escalate into an armed conflict, there will be no winners.

He also said Russia does not want the Baltic Sea to go through a crisis similar to that of the Strait of Hormuz. That comparison puts the focus on a region where NATO has reinforced its presence since Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

## The calls that broke the isolation

The Finnish president, **Alexander Stubb**, and the Norwegian prime minister, **Jonas Gahr Støre**, held conversations they described as "frank and substantive" with the Russian leader. It was an attempt to influence the Kremlin's stance while the war in Ukraine continues. Støre explained that both stressed the importance of reducing tensions and reiterated their firm support for Ukraine.

The initiative drew criticism from other Nordic leaders. The Danish prime minister, **Mette Frederiksen**, called on European leaders to stay united in the face of the war in Ukraine. The Swedish prime minister, **Ulf Kristersson**, noted that other European leaders had expressed surprise at not having been informed of the conversations beforehand.

## The UK prepares for a conflict in 1,000 days

The warnings about a possible escalation coincide with growing security concerns in the **United Kingdom**. The British Defence Secretary, **Wes Streeting**, warned that the country had to prepare for the possibility of war within **1,000 days**. The Government advised the population to keep stocks of canned food and bottled water.

In an article published in **The Telegraph**, Streeting argued that the UK's adversaries could be in a position to launch an attack against the country by **2030**.

## The civilian toll of the war in Ukraine

The war in Ukraine continues to claim civilian lives. A Russian drone equipped with a jet engine struck two trains stopped at a station in central Ukraine, leaving at least **13 dead** and another **ten injured**, according to the authorities. The Ukrainian president, **Volodímir Zelenski**, called the bombing of the passenger trains in **Dnipro** a "horrible attack".

The attack took place even though Moscow and Kyiv are maintaining a limited truce in and around a devastated city in southern Ukraine. Both sides remain locked in a war that began with Russia's full-scale invasion more than four years ago. Previous attempts to reach a ceasefire have failed to take hold or resulted in truces that were broken shortly after coming into effect.