Russian President Vladimir Putin has sharply criticised Western leaders for what he described as &ldquo;hysteria&rdquo; over an alleged Russian threat to Europe, dismissing calls to prepare for a major war as deliberate fear-mongering. Responding to recent remarks by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Putin accused the West of misleading its own citizens to justify military expansion.
Rutte, speaking in Berlin last week, warned that NATO must be prepared for a conflict &ldquo;on the scale our grandparents or great-grandparents endured,&rdquo; urging alliance members to accelerate defence spending and weapons production. Putin rejected the warning outright, calling it &ldquo;a lie, nonsense, pure nonsense about some imaginary Russian threat to European countries,&rdquo; and said such rhetoric was being used to manipulate public opinion.
The Russian leader also issued a stern warning on Ukraine, stating that Moscow prefers a diplomatic resolution but will pursue its territorial objectives by force if peace talks fail. &ldquo;The goals of the special military operation will certainly be achieved,&rdquo; Putin said, adding that refusal to engage in &ldquo;substantive discussions&rdquo; would lead to further military action.
His remarks come as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that discussions are underway with the United States on a potential roadmap to end the war. However, with Russia insisting it will not withdraw from occupied territories and pressure mounting on Kyiv to consider concessions, the diplomatic path forward remains deeply uncertain.

Russian President rejects NATO’s warning, signals hard line on Ukraine

Putin Calls NATO War Talk ‘Hysteria’

Russian President rejects NATO’s warning, signals hard line on Ukraine

December 18, 2025 | 02:02 IST