President Vladimir Putin declared on Thursday that Russia harbors no intentions of invading NATO nations. This statement comes amidst growing alarm over a series of confirmed and suspected Russian drone incursions stretching from Poland to Denmark in recent weeks.
These unsettling airspace violations have prompted some European leaders to warn that the continent is facing its most dangerous period in decades. In response, NATO members are actively bolstering their aerial defenses, convinced that Russia is deliberately testing for vulnerabilities.
Addressing an international relations conference in Russia’s southwest, Mr. Putin sharply criticized ‘European elites,’ accusing them of ‘whipping up hysteria’ concerning a supposed ‘Russian threat.’
In televised comments, he remarked, ‘It appears a war with the Russians is just around the corner; they endlessly repeat this mantra.’
Dismissing these fears, Mr. Putin urged European leaders to ‘calm down, sleep tight, and finally, deal with your own issues,’ adding emphatically that Moscow harbors ‘no aggressive intentions regarding other countries.’
Notably, over three years prior, Mr. Putin had similarly denied any invasion plans as Russia amassed troops on Ukraine’s border. On this occasion, however, he pivoted to portray NATO countries as the instigators, implying that their unwavering support for Kyiv in the subsequent conflict effectively means the Western alliance is directly at war with Russia.
Putin’s comments came after weeks of palpable anxiety across Europe regarding its readiness for potential Russian aggression. Tensions dramatically heightened following an early September incident where over 20 Russian drones violated Polish airspace. This breach prompted NATO to scramble fighter jets and engage hostile targets within its sovereign airspace—a historic first.
(Image caption: A photograph released by Russian state media depicts President Vladimir V. Putin at an international relations conference in Sochi, Russia, on Thursday.)
Poland’s leader unequivocally labeled the drone incursion a ‘large-scale provocation,’ a dangerous spillover from the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. The incident led to widespread condemnation from a majority of U.N. Security Council members. While Moscow claimed the drones had inadvertently strayed into Polish airspace, European leaders swiftly dismissed this explanation.
Just one week later, Russian fighter jets made an ‘unprecedentedly brazen’ intrusion into Estonian airspace, lingering for an unusually long 12 minutes, as described by Estonia’s foreign minister.
The anxieties soon spread to Scandinavia. Last week, both Denmark and Norway were forced to close airports due to unexplained drone activity, with authorities implying Russia’s involvement. However, Mr. Putin directly refuted his country’s participation in these incidents during Thursday’s conference.
During his address, Mr. Putin aimed to frame Europe’s escalating concerns as baseless. He accused Germany and other nations of ‘militarizing Europe,’ thereby increasing the risk of conflict. He warned that if Europe persists on this trajectory, Russia would be compelled to deliver a ‘convincing response.’
With Mr. Putin showing no inclination to cease the conflict in Ukraine, European leaders appear to be losing faith in a diplomatic resolution. Meanwhile, former President Trump has expressed growing frustration, recently characterizing Russia’s efforts in Ukraine as ‘fighting aimlessly’ and its military as a ‘paper tiger.’
Despite rebuffing Trump’s calls to end the war, Mr. Putin carefully avoided directly criticizing the former president. Instead, on Thursday, he redirected his condemnation towards NATO.
“If we are a paper tiger, then what is NATO about?” Mr. Putin queried, reiterating his narrative that the war in Ukraine is fundamentally a struggle against an expanding NATO influence.
He concluded by stating, “All of NATO’s members are fighting against us. They are not even hiding it now.”
