Putin warns Europe: If you want war, then Russia will defeat you

Putin’s comments appeared aimed at driving a wedge between Washington and European capitals

Russian President Vladimir Putin (Sergei Ilnitsky/Pool Photo via AP)

Russian president Vladimir Putin on Tuesday warned European powers that if they started a war with Russia then Moscow was ready to fight and that the defeat of European powers would be so absolute that there would be no one left to even negotiate a peace deal.

Four years into the Ukraine war, the deadliest European conflict in Europe since World War Two, Russia has failed to conquer Ukraine, a much smaller neighbour which has been supported by European powers and the United States.