NEW DELHI – Russian President Vladimir Putin delivered a severe warning to European leaders on Friday, stating that any deployment of their troops to Ukrainian territory would be met with direct military conflict against Russia. Putin's remarks came during the BRICS summit in New Delhi, where he also engaged in discussions with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
During his address, Putin dismissed claims that Moscow poses a threat to European nations, accusing their leaders of deliberately alarming their populations with an "imaginary threat" from Russia. "We are not threatening and have no intention of threatening European countries. Why would we?" Putin was quoted as saying, emphasizing that such a threat "does not exist and has never existed."
BRICS Summit Focuses on New Global Growth Platform
While in New Delhi, President Putin also focused on strengthening the BRICS alliance. He advocated for the development of a new platform for global economic growth, independent of Western-dominated rules. Putin highlighted Russia's readiness to collaborate with BRICS partners on various infrastructure and logistics initiatives, including the Arctic Transport Corridor and the North-South Transport Corridor. Cooperation areas also extend to technology, artificial intelligence, unmanned transport, finance, tourism, and industry.
Deepening India-Russia Ties Amidst Geopolitical Shifts
On the sidelines of the summit, President Putin and Prime Minister Modi reviewed and agreed to deepen their longstanding bilateral ties across several sectors, including trade, defense, energy, and space. This meeting underscores India's delicate balancing act in maintaining relationships with key global powers amidst heightened geopolitical tensions and disruptions to international trade routes.
Putin also proposed an investment platform based on the New Development Bank (NDB), aiming to mobilize private-sector funding to enhance the competitiveness of BRICS economies. He expressed optimism that other BRICS members would support this initiative. The Russian leader affirmed that BRICS remains open to cooperation with the wider world, stating, "We are not against anyone. We are in favour of our interests."
"At the moment, they say they are considering how to send troops onto Ukrainian territory. That means a war against Russia."
The Kremlin has repeatedly cautioned that the presence of Western troops in Ukraine would constitute a significant escalation. While European leaders have discussed potential troop deployments in the context of future peace settlements, no such deployment has yet occurred.