Putin Again Signals Defiance While Invoking War with Europe
It's just that...he was merely answering a journalist's question.
Another day and another internet-breaking Putin conference wherein the Russian leader has voiced some headline-grabbing words.
As per usual, the Western MSM machine has glommed onto the statements as if Putin had woken up that day and decided to declare war on Europe. But in reality the statements as per usual were merely responses to questions from journalists, and not some kind of ‘prepared’ announcement as signal to Europeans.
But the far more interesting aspect was what Putin revealed in the fuller statement, in accordance with things we’ve discussed here many times: that a Russian-European war would not resemble that of the Ukrainian one.
Listen to the full clip below:
On one hand, Putin does needfully mention that Russia is ready for any European aggression simply as an obligatory response to all the recent warmongering from the West, which we had just covered in the last article; it’s important for the West to understand that Russia is not going to cower in the face of these threats.
And perhaps, it is even Putin’s way of hinting at the large reserve armies we’ve oft-discussed here that Russia was suspected to be building with the surplus of both volunteer troops as well as armor, like the T-90M tanks said to be going almost exclusively to rear reserve units. I had long espoused the notion here that Russia was building such a reserve army for precisely the contingency of a wider European war that Russia knew Western elites were desperately trying to stoke.
It should also be mentioned that despite the fact it was a journalist who triggered the response, Putin still perhaps somewhat uncharacteristically fleshed out the answer in such a way as to leave no room for doubt as to how Russia would prosecute a war against the suicidal Europeans, giving us a clue as to the nature and character of this potential war. Note in particular Putin’s subtly chilling warning at the very end: if Europe wages war on Russia, there will ‘very quickly’ be no one left in Europe “to negotiate with”…what do you think that means?
As many have previously discussed, such a war would look completely different to that of the Ukrainian one because Russia views Ukraine as a ‘brotherly’ nation whose citizens are essentially Russian, and whom Putin goes to great lengths to make sure are unharmed, giving the war one of the lowest civilian casualty figures of any known comparable wars; this is the ‘surgical’ and ‘careful’ nature which Putin refers to.
But against Europe, Russia would have no real incentive to use a ‘velvet-gloved’ approach. Russia could essentially choose to prosecute such a war in the same way it did against the Wehrmacht in 1944 and onward. Cities and infrastructure could be indiscriminately leveled—and we certainly now know that NATO does not possess the air defense capabilities to slow down Russia’s growing ballistic and cruise missile inventory.
Just last week, for instance, NYT reported US Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll’s statement that Russia is now producing more missiles than it uses, conserving the remainder toward a growing stockpile:
For years, Moscow fired missiles into Ukraine roughly as fast as it could make them. But now Russia is building enough to amass a growing stockpile of long-range weaponry, Daniel P. Driscoll, the U.S. Army secretary, told the assembled diplomats, according to two Western officials.
Later in the article, Norwegian missile expert Fabian Hoffman corroborated this take:
“The launches are not keeping up with production,” said Fabian Hoffmann, a missile expert at the University of Oslo who follows the war in Ukraine. Russia, he said, could be replenishing stocks for contingencies such as a military conflict outside Ukraine or to ratchet up pressure on Kyiv.
Ballistic missiles are already being fired into Ukraine at a higher rate than Ukraine can secure the two types of interceptors capable of shooting them down: American Patriots and French and Italian SAMP/T missiles.
And then there’s this small inconvenience…
Getting back—Putin further expounded on his opinions regarding Europe’s dream of inflicting a ‘strategic defeat’ on Russia:
If anything, Putin here demonstrates his clear understanding of Europe’s plans in thwarting the peace process for the purpose of either continuing the hostilities to “break Russia”, or to force Russia into some kind of unfavorable armistice, where Ukraine can be re-armed.
On that note French papers are quoting several French soldiers as being convinced that they will soon see action in Ukraine:
French Sunday newspaper Le Journal du Dimanche interviewed soldiers in the French armed forces. They are quoted, yesterday, as saying:
Charles-Henri
“With the guys in my unit, we see this as an increasingly clear sign. We’re likely to be sent to Ukraine. I don’t know when, or for what kind of mission, but I no longer have much doubt that we’ll end up going there, and honestly, the losses could be massive” … “Maintaining peace in a peacekeeping mode? Sure, why not. But declaring war on Russia... I admit I didn’t sign up for that. If we go, it will be carnage!”
Alexandre
“Heading out to six or seven countries to form a well-organized bloc is far more reassuring than going it alone! The reserves would only be called up as a last resort, at a moment when the Ukrainian front is in full collapse. I am a soldier; I signed an engagement contract. If it has to be done, I will do it. But it means risking my life.”
Louis
“We were surprised to come across these big blond brutes who didn’t speak a word of French. We see the videos from the front—the drones saturating the airspace, the logistics flowing under constant assault. Our army has nothing to be ashamed of, but as things stand, I don’t know if we’re truly ready for what’s coming.”
All while the Russian SVR intelligence agency published this report today:
The Press Bureau of the Foreign Intelligence Service of the Russian Federation reports that, according to data received by the SVR, France continues to seek options for direct involvement in the Ukrainian conflict. This is particularly evident in Government Decree No. 2025-1030 of October 31, 2025, which allows the use of private military companies to provide assistance to a “third country in a situation of armed conflict.”
Even for the inexperienced European layman, there is no doubt which country is meant. Mobile air defense groups and the few F-16s at Ukraine’s disposal are unable to intercept Russian air targets. Mastering the same “Mirages” and other techniques requires time and high qualification. For this purpose, Kiev will need foreign PMCs equipped with modern Western, primarily French weapons.
However, Paris should not delude itself into thinking that this will free its hands and simultaneously absolve it of responsibility for its military’s involvement in the conflict. The presence of French private military companies in Ukraine, modestly referred to as “reference operators” by the Ministry of Armed Forces in the aforementioned decree, will be viewed by Moscow as France’s direct involvement in combat operations against Russia. As a result, French private military companies will become the primary legitimate target of the Russian Armed Forces.
SVR Press Office of Russia
02.12.2025
During his press conference, Putin also threatened to completely shut Ukraine’s access to the Black Sea after a series of attacks on Russian ships suspected to have been carried out by Ukraine. Humorously, pro-UA accounts mocked this statement, owing to the perceived ‘defeat’ of the Russian Black Sea Fleet and its ‘inability’ to prosecute the type of operation Putin implies.
In reality, what the pro-UA sphere has forgotten is that Russia has allowed Ukraine to operate commercial traffic to various ports, including Odessa. This was part of the backroom deals that Putin conceded to in order to alleviate the histrionics regarding a new ‘Holodomor’ happening as a result of Russia’s blockade of Ukraine’s ports. In reality, Russia has the ability to destroy not only anything going in and out of the ports—should it so choose—but the port terminals themselves.
Ukraine’s brazen attack on a Russian ship carrying sunflower oil to Georgia right near the Turkish shore even managed to provoke the ire of notorious fence-sitter Erdogan:
Erdogan demanded to stop strikes on commercial ships in the Black Sea
This happened after attacks by Ukrainian UAVs on tankers in the Turkish economic zone.
“Targeted strikes on commercial vessels in our exclusive economic zone on Friday signal a disturbing escalation. Attacks on merchant ships in the Black Sea are unacceptable, and I have warned all interested parties,” said the President of Turkey.
All in all, Putin’s statements have again shown a new side of Russia’s defiance and refusal to back down in the face of Western threats. It happened to come on the same day that Kirill Dmitriev wore this jacket as he escorted Witkoff and Kushner around Moscow:
A tad cringeworthy, perhaps—but the message is delivered.
In other news, Reuters has run a remarkable article which concludes on an experiment begun in spring 2025, wherein Reuters “followed the fortunes” of a group of 11 fresh Ukrainian recruits to see how they would wind up:
The conclusion was dismal: all 11 out of 11 became ‘casualties’ in one form or another, essentially a 100% casualty rate in only six months time.
From the article:
None of the 11 are still fighting. Four have been wounded, three are missing in action, two are absent without leave (AWOL), one fell sick and another recruit has killed himself, according to interviews with soldiers, their relatives and government records.
The fates of the soldiers provide a snapshot of the carnage wrought on Ukraine by the grinding war against Russia, in which both sides closely guard casualty figures.
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In fact, things are getting so desperate all female drone teams are starting to appear on the Ukrainian side, as WaPo reports:
Nearly four years into Russia’s invasion, women in Ukraine are increasingly taking on combat roles.
Now, Ukraine’s first all-women drone unit stakes its place in a male-dominated military.
A telling video from the article shows the ‘elite’ female drone team in action:
How progressive!
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In fact, more and more Western press is reporting that Russia has finally definitively gotten the drone upper hand all across Ukraine:
Russia’s growing prowess at hitting Ukrainian supply lines with drones is the most important shift in the war in 2025, Ukrainian front-line fighters and analysts studying the conflict say—more significant than Russian forces’ incremental gains in territory.
They go on:
For most of the nearly four-year-old war, Ukraine has held a clear advantage in battlefield drones, using innovative tactics and technology to compensate for Russia’s greater manpower.
But this fall, Russian forces have gained the upper hand in the tactical drone contest for the first time. They are outnumbering Ukraine’s unmanned aerial vehicles in key sections of the front, while using improved tactics that are testing Ukraine’s ability to keep its front-line defenders supplied.
The trend bodes ill for Ukraine’s ability to hold ground in 2026, unless Ukrainian forces can find answers to Russia’s improved capabilities.
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A last bit of interesting news. Apparently, Russian forces are taking such heavy casualties—particularly the “casualty-prone” 155th Marines Brigade—that they’re expanding brigades into much larger divisions. In this case, the now-legendary 155th Marines are returning to their roots to become the 55th Marine Division:
As part of the implementation of the plan to “reinforce” Marine Corps units, the 155th Marine Brigade of the Pacific Fleet has been expanded into the 55th Marine Division.
In fact, this is a return to the unit’s roots. The former 155th Separate Marine Brigade originally began its history within the USSR Armed Forces as the 55th Marine Division, but it was disbanded during the 2009 reform.
The ongoing hostilities in Ukraine demonstrated the need for larger combined-arms formations capable of operating across a wide front on land, without reliance on ships or aircraft. This initially led to the gradual re-formation of divisions from brigades within the Airborne Forces , and now a similar reform has reached the Marine Corps.
In addition to the 55th Marine Division of the Pacific Fleet, another division is expected to appear before the end of 2025. It is presumed that it will be formed from the 336th Separate Guards Marine Brigade of the Baltic Fleet. It is quite possible that in 2026 and 2027 other brigade-level Marine Corps units will also be brought to the same organizational standard.
The division was down-scaled into the 155th Brigade back in 2009 during the infamous Serdyukov reforms, where many—if not most—divisions were controversially eliminated, and Russia famously became a brigade-first force. Now, they are slowly being brought back as I had written about several times previously.
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How times change. Not only is the ruble now stronger against the dollar than it was at the start of the SMO, but the West is finally coming around to some poignant realizations:
The United States and its allies are finally coming to terms with the tragic reality that their support of Ukraine will not be enough to help the Ukrainians defeat the Russians. In a recent interview, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent declared that the repeated sanctions—particularly by the European Union—had failed to achieve their goals.
“If you have to repeat the same action 19 times, then you’ve failed,” said the American treasury secretary matter-of-factly.
In fact, the authors outright declare Russia as the winner of the economic war:
They conclude:
What’s more, it is unlikely that the Americans will attempt any further round of sanctions, given how abysmally the previous 19 rounds have played out for the West. Russia today is stronger and more resilient—in short, better prepared for a great power war—than it has ever been. And that is entirely a product of the shambolic European sanctions.
How’s that for a downer?
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After Putin had met with Gerasimov once more on the front to this time oversee the Center Group’s actions, Tutti Fruitti Rutte issued this gut-busting statement, worth its inclusion simply for the laugh:
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Lastly, an apt post from a Ukrainian sergeant on the front about the nature of the situation:
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