Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that after Ukraine, Russia will not engage in any new wars if Western nations respect its position and interests, calling claims of planned attacks on Europe “nonsense”.
During a nearly four-and-a-half-hour televised session, Putin was asked by BBC’s Steve Rosenberg if Russia would launch more “special military operations”, the term Moscow uses for its invasion of Ukraine.
“There won't be any operations if you treat us with respect, if you respect our interests just as we've always tried to respect yours,” he said, linking Russia’s future actions to Western treatment.
Earlier this month, Putin declared that Russia has no intention of waging war in Europe but claimed it could act immediately if Europeans chose confrontation. On Friday, he added that further invasions would not occur “if you don't cheat us like you cheated us with Nato's eastward expansion”.
For years, Putin has accused Nato of breaking an alleged 1990 promise to Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, a claim the former leader denies.
The statements came during the annual “Direct Line” broadcast, where the president answers questions from the public and journalists. The event took place in a Moscow hall, with a massive map behind him showing Russian territory along with occupied parts of Ukraine, including Crimea.
Russian media said over three million questions were submitted for the programme.
Hours after the broadcast, Ukrainian authorities reported a Russian missile strike in the southern Odesa region, killing seven and injuring 15. Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.
Though largely controlled, the live event displayed some public criticism. Messages included calling the session a “circus”, complaints about poor tap water, and internet outages, the latter blamed by authorities on Ukrainian drone attacks.
Putin also addressed Russia’s economic difficulties, including rising costs, slower growth, and a VAT increase from 20 to 22 percent from 1 January. One question said: “Stop the crazy rise in prices on everything!”
At the same time, Russia’s central bank announced a cut in interest rates to 16 percent, a move broadcast as an indicator of stability.
Discussions ranged from foreign policy and patriotism to local businesses, veterans, and food prices, but Ukraine remained central.
Putin repeated that he was “ready and willing” to end the war “peacefully”, but made clear he would not compromise on Russia’s conditions. He reaffirmed his June 2024 stance, demanding Ukrainian troops leave four partially occupied regions and that Ukraine abandon Nato membership aspirations.
He stressed that Russia seeks full control over eastern Ukraine’s Donbas, including 23 percent of Donetsk region still not under Russian control. Putin claimed Russian troops were advancing along the front and mocked Volodymyr Zelensky’s visit to Kupiansk, which disproved Russian claims the town had fallen.
Putin also insisted that new elections in Ukraine should be part of any peace plan, echoing proposals from US President Donald Trump. He said bombing would pause while voting takes place.
Ukraine’s SBU reported a strike on a Russian-linked oil tanker in the Mediterranean, part of Moscow’s so-called shadow fleet. Putin said this action would not stop Russian exports or deliver the results Kyiv sought.
Most questions posed were supportive, though two from Western journalists—Keir Simmons of NBC and Steve Rosenberg of the BBC—were included.
When asked if he would feel responsible for deaths if he rejected Trump’s peace plan, Putin praised the US president’s “sincere” attempts but said Western leaders were blocking progress.
“The ball is in the hands of our Western opponents,” he said, “primarily the leaders of the Kyiv regime, and in this case, first and foremost, their European sponsors.”
