Putin vows no more wars if West treats Russia with respect

In a televised Direct Line marathon that ran for nearly four and a half hours, President Vladimir Putin said there would be no further military operations if the West treats Russia with respect and dismissed claims Moscow is planning to attack European countries as nonsense. He asserted that such hostilities would end if Moscow’s interests, which he cast as equal to those of Western powers, are acknowledged and not “cheated” by NATO’s expansion.

The broadcast, staged from a Moscow studio with a map of Russia sprawling behind him that included occupied Ukrainian territories such as Crimea, featured questions from the public and journalists from across Russia. Organisers said more than three million questions had been submitted. By the time the program concluded, Ukrainian officials reported seven people killed and 15 wounded in a Russian missile strike on Ukraine’s southern Odesa region, underscoring the ongoing human cost of the conflict that began in February 2022.

Putin reiterated a long-standing argument that Western security guarantees had been eroded by what he called NATO’s eastward expansion, and he warned that there would be no new Russian invasions if Western states do not “cheat” Russia by continuing to press for Ukraine’s alignment with the alliance. While offering to engage with Western powers as equals, he said any future engagement would require Russia’s security needs to be addressed as a condition for halting hostilities.

Economically, Putin acknowledged a faltering Russian economy, noting rising prices and a slowdown in growth. He pointed to structural pressures and a tax environment that has seen changes such as a value-added tax increase from 20% to 22% at the start of the year. In the same breath, the Kremlin highlighted stabilizing indicators, with Russia’s central bank announcing a rate cut to 16% during the period as part of an effort to support the economy amid sanctions and low growth.

The exchange included two Western reporters among the questioners: NBC’s Keir Simmons and the BBC’s Steve Rosenberg. Putin praised the efforts of former U.S. President Donald Trump to broker a peace, but he argued that it was the West, not Russia, delaying a settlement. He said, in effect, that the ball was in the Western camp’s court, and that Kyiv and its European sponsors bore primary responsibility for the current impasse. The remarks came as a Ukrainian delegation held talks in Miami with Trump adviser Jared Kushner and other U.S. officials, with European diplomats also in attendance, underscoring how international players have sought to influence the path to peace.

Putin declared Moscow was ready to cooperate with the United Kingdom, Europe and the United States on equal terms, but only if Russia’s interests and security concerns were recognized as legitimate. He argued the West had created an adversarial dynamic, and he pressed for a settlement that would see Ukraine renounce its bid to join NATO and accept Russia’s positions in the Donbas, including the four regions Moscow partially occupies. He asserted that Russian forces were advancing on the front lines and dismissed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s recent front-line visit as a publicity gesture designed to bolster Kyiv’s narrative of momentum.

A separate security development has rippled through the broader conflict: Ukraine’s SBU security service said it had for the first time hit an oil-tanker vessel operating as part of what Kyiv calls Russia’s “shadow fleet” in the Mediterranean. Putin said such actions would not advance Kyiv’s aims and would not disrupt Russia’s exports, arguing that Moscow had legitimate reasons to pursue its economic interests despite Western pressure.

Western intelligence agencies have warned that Russia could escalate its efforts against NATO in the coming years, and European leaders have cautioned that Moscow shows no sign of backing away from its core aims in Ukraine. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and other Western officials have noted a buildup of activity that could presage broader confrontation, even as diplomats seek to keep lines of communication open. In this context, Putin used the Direct Line to frame Russia’s objectives not as aggression but as protection of Russian security and interests, while acknowledging the domestic pain caused by sanctions and the war’s toll on ordinary Russians.

In the closing rounds of questions, Putin touched on personal topics, including friendship, religion, and the idea of love at first sight. He said he believed in love at first sight and, in a personal aside, indicated that he himself was in love, though he did not elaborate.

The Direct Line event has long served as a barometer of Moscow’s messaging to both domestic and international audiences. This year’s program underscored the Kremlin’s attempt to present a principled, dialog-oriented stance while continuing to push for a geopolitical settlement that would guarantee Russian security and political influence over Ukraine’s fate. Putin’s comments reinforced a view that Moscow seeks a negotiated outcome, but only on terms that recognize Russia’s security concerns and its role as a regional power—conditions that Western governments say Kyiv cannot accept as long as Russia occupies Ukrainian territory and uses military force.

As the war enters its third year, the international community watches for any signals of genuine flexibility from Moscow. The questions and the official responses during Friday’s Direct Line offered a curated snapshot of Putin’s current strategy: insist on security guarantees, frame the conflict as a response to Western provocation, and position Russia as essential to regional stability. Whether this translates into actual concessions or a durable peace remains a focal point of global diplomacy in the months ahead.