As a sign of how isolated Russia’s leader feels he and his country are, Putin said he would welcome any warming of relations between Russia and the West.
But ensconced within the Kremlin’s walls, the Russian president also affirmed that should the war he started in Ukraine expand outward, the ensuing conflagration on the European continent would benefit no one.
T-14 Armata. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
Main battle tank T-14 object 148 on heavy unified tracked platform Armata. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
“First of all, we are ready, but we want no war with Europe. And if anyone wants [war], let them prepare, but right now they have not achieved their goal — to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia. And if things go too far, there will be no winners at all. Let no one forget that,” the Russian strongman told reporters following a summit in which Russia hosted several leaders of African countries.
“We support any steps…we support any actions aimed at restoring full-fledged and complete relations with European countries,” Putin added,
Earlier this week, the Russian leader spoke via telephone to his Finnish and Norwegian counterparts, Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, respectively.
While the two Nordic leaders faced criticism from some European capitals for calling Putin without coordinating with other European leaders, Putin seemed to welcome the decision.
Furthermore, Putin said the Baltic Sea, a body of water Russia can access via St. Petersburg, its second city, and Kaliningrad, the Russian exclave sandwiched between Poland and Lithuania, should remain free and open.
Any restrictions on Russia transiting the Baltic could, in his view, lead to a situation not unlike what is now being witnessed with Iran and the Strait of Hormuz.
“Does someone want the same situation in the Baltic as in the Gulf or the Strait of Hormuz?” Putin reportedly said. “I don’t know. We don’t want that, but we will respond to any challenge.”
Casualties Mounting
But behind the embattled Russian leader’s seeming stoicism, however, are mounting Russian losses on the battlefields of Ukraine. New data recently published by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine showed that Russian military personnel losses in October numbered more than 49,000. It is believed to be the deadliest month of the war for Russian personnel since Putin ordered the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February of 2022.
The second-deadliest month for Russia in Ukraine occurred in December of 2024, when Russian military losses numbered over 48,000. “Why this is important: the rate of losses exceeds the enemy’s ability to replenish its units. Every month of the war costs the Russian army increasingly more,” Ukraine’s General Staff also said.
More Russian Strikes on Russian Civilians — but Ukrainian Strikes Paused?
On Thursday, a Russian drone slammed onto a train platform in Dnipro, a large city in central Ukraine, killing fourteen Ukrainians waiting for their train.
Later in the day, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said that Russian ballistic missiles had rained down on Kyiv again, and bombing occurs in the capital city on a near-daily basis.
With the American midterm elections looming, the price of oil — and its refined products, gasoline and diesel in particular — could be one of the deciding factors of the election.
While American President Donald Trump and his war against Iran have certainly caused the current spike in oil prices, his counterpart in Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky, and Ukraine’s strike campaign against Russian oil and gas infrastructure have also crimped energy supply.
President Trump has backtracked in recent weeks as prices at the pump have risen precipitously, admonishing President Zelensky to halt his campaign against Russia’s oil refineries. And while some outlets report that Kyiv’s forces have paused their strikes against Russian energy, multiple fires are reported at at least one Russian refinery.
Oleshky Truce Appears to Hold
The truce between Russian and Ukrainian troops around Oleshky, the Ukrainian town occupied by Russian forces since 2022, appears to hold still, though residents of the town who wish to evacuate have until 2 PM local time on Friday to do so.
Evacuees will first be sent to Russia before being sent back to Ukraine, raising questions about the plight of residents there and what could happen to them while in transit or in Russia, which currently occupies around a fifth of Ukrainian territory.
About the Author: Caleb Larson
Caleb Larson is an American multiformat journalist based in Berlin, Germany. His work covers the intersection of conflict and society, with a focus on American foreign policy and European security. He has reported from Germany, Russia, and the United States. Most recently, he covered the war in Ukraine, reporting extensively on the war’s shifting battle lines in Donbas and writing about its civilian and humanitarian toll. Previously, he worked as a Defense Reporter for POLITICO Europe. You can follow his latest work on X.
