Russian President Vladimir Putin has asserted that there will be no more wars after the conflict with Ukraine, if Russia is treated with respect. He characterized allegations that Moscow intends to invade European countries as nonsense. During a nearly four-and-a-half-hour televised event, he responded to a question from the BBC’s Steve Rosenberg about the possibility of new military operations, asserting, There won't be any operations if you treat us with respect, if you respect our interests just as we've always tried to respect yours.
Earlier this month, Putin had indicated that Russia does not plan to go to war with Europe, although he expressed readiness if European nations decided otherwise. He stated that peace would be contingent on the West honoring commitments concerning NATO's eastward expansion, a point he has raised for years, claiming it was a deception against the former Soviet Union.
During the event, referred to as the Direct Line, which included questions from the public and journalists, Putin emphasized that more than three million questions had been submitted. Notably, the event took place with a backdrop of a large map of Russia that displayed territories in Ukraine, including Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014. Just hours after this marathon session, reports emerged of a Russian missile strike on Ukraine's southern Odesa region that resulted in multiple casualties.
The event was heavily scrutinized, with some audience members expressing dissatisfaction over the current state of the economy, characterized by rising prices and growth stagnation. Amid these concerns, Putin attempted to convey a sense of resilience within the economy, highlighting the central bank's decision to reduce interest rates.
Overall, while Putin reiterated his readiness to work cooperatively with Western leaders on equal terms, he underscored that security issues in relation to Ukraine are far from resolved. He demanded control over specific regions in Eastern Ukraine and reiterated past positions against Ukraine's NATO aspirations, framing the ongoing war's narrative as a defensive effort against Western aggression.
