As Europe, targeted by Russia's hybrid warfare, seeks to rally its defenses, Vladimir Putin threatened the continent with a "significant" response should it persist in arming and supporting Ukraine. Speaking on Thursday, October 2, at a forum in Sochi on the Black Sea, the Russian president adopted a combative tone. "Germany says its army should once again become the strongest in Europe. (...) Let's see what that means. No one should have doubt that Russia's countermeasures will not take a long time to come," he warned, addressing a sympathetic audience.

Accusing European nations of fueling the conflict in Ukraine, blocking its resolution, and encouraging "a constant escalation," Putin made a point of insisting that he was not responsible for starting the war. "We ourselves have never initiated a military confrontation," he stated confidently, saying he was closely monitoring the "militarization" of the continent. According to Putin, Europeans are the only ones blaming him for the ongoing hostilities. "So far, unfortunately, it has not been possible to stop the fighting. The responsibility (...) falls on a minority, primarily Europe, which keeps aggravating the conflict," he insisted.

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