Russian President Vladimir Putin warned on Tuesday of the increasing likelihood of conflicts erupting in various parts of the world, accusing Western countries of preparing for war with Russia. He asserted that Russia is ready to give a quick, measured response to these threats, Russian media reported.

During a meeting with graduates of military universities, Putin remarked that the current international situation is far from stable. He said the West was making false statements “about the alleged Russian threat” to increase their military budgets

He added that Russia consistently advocates equal and indivisible security for all countries around the world, arguing “this can only be achieved by forming a multipolar system of international relations.”

The Russian president stated that “Russian officers and soldiers are courageously and effectively carrying out their tasks in the special military operation, liberating our historical lands and protecting our people.”

He noted that Russia is consistently modernizing its nuclear triad. “In accordance with the state armaments program, the nuclear triad, ground forces, and the combat potential of the Aerospace Forces and the Navy are being consistently modernized.”

Russia is ready to “respond promptly and adequately to any external and internal threats.”

He added that more than a thousand weapons were tested in combat conditions in 2025. “Since the start of the special military operation, there has been a significant improvement in many types of weapons, including unmanned aerial vehicles with advanced guidance systems, loitering munitions, robotic systems for various purposes, and much more.”

He added that there is a rapid exchange of information between forces deployed on the front lines and defense industry enterprises, which contributes to the development of military equipment and the improvement of the armed forces’ combat performance.

He stressed that the Russian armed forces “always stand guard the interests of the Russian state,” urging the new graduates to recognize the magnitude of the responsibility placed upon them.

Russia also said the United States was no longer trying to be an “objective mediator” in its efforts to broker an end to the Ukraine war launched by Moscow’s offensive in 2022.

“As for the United States, judging by their actions, they appear to be abandoning any claim to the role of an objective mediator and are instead pursuing a course of escalating sanctions pressure on Russia,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told foreign envoys in Moscow.

He also said that by providing military support to Ukraine, “Europe is once again becoming a major threat to international peace and security.”

Russia has pummelled Ukraine with near-daily aerial barrages of drones and missiles since the war began in 2022 as diplomatic efforts to reach a settlement to end the conflict remain stalled. Kyiv has in the past months stepped up its strikes on Russia, regularly hitting oil-processing facilities and its export hubs in a bid to sap the vital fossil fuel revenues funding Moscow’s war effort, which is now in its fifth year.

US President Donald Trump had stated that keeping the G8 with Russia’s participation could have prevented the Ukrainian crisis. In a media interview, Trump said, “The G8 should have been kept. Perhaps there wouldn’t have been a war between Russia and Ukraine if it had continued.”

President Trump met with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, at the Alaska Summit 2025, which did not produce any agreement to resolve or end the war in Ukraine, although both leaders described the talks as “productive.” (AFP/EIR)