The Russian president says Moscow does not want a conflict but will answer any challenge, as European governments argue over the Nordic peace overture and Russian strikes kill at least 19 in Ukraine
Vladimir Putin has said Russia is prepared for a possible war with Europe, while insisting Moscow does not want one. He spoke after a joint phone call with Finland’s President Alexander Stubb and Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, a contact that has divided European leaders. At a Moscow press conference on Thursday he added that the Baltic Sea must not become another Strait of Hormuz and that Russia “will respond to any challenge”. On the same day, Russian attacks across Ukraine killed at least 19 people, 14 of them in a drone strike on a train at Dnipro.
Putin’s remarks
Mr Putin was speaking after the Russia–Africa summit and was asked about European maritime security and his conversation with the Nordic leaders. He said he did not want a security crisis in the Baltic like the confrontation affecting shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. Interfax quoted him as saying: “We do not want that. But we will respond to any challenge.”
By Mr Putin’s account, the Finnish and Norwegian leaders stressed respect for international maritime law and the protection of Baltic shipping. He also dismissed suggestions that European military preparations could inflict a strategic defeat on Russia by 2030, The Telegraph reported. These were his assertions, not independent assessments of Russia’s military position.
The Nordic call
Mr Stubb and Mr Støre spoke to Mr Putin jointly from Helsinki on Tuesday 27 October for about 90 minutes, Reuters reported. The Finnish presidency said the move grew out of talks in Oslo on 20 October involving Ukraine, the United States, the UK, Germany, Italy, the European Commission and NATO. It was linked to planned three-way US–Russia–Ukraine talks in Abu Dhabi in early November, the first since February 2026, according to Reuters.
Both the Norwegian government and the Finnish presidency said the call was coordinated with Kyiv. Ukraine’s foreign minister Andrii Sybiha welcomed it, and the two leaders briefed President Volodymyr Zelensky afterwards.
Europe divided
Some European leaders criticised the approach. Mr Støre said all partners and allies were told beforehand and given detailed accounts afterwards. Other governments reacted as follows:
- Germany: Chancellor Friedrich Merz said no deal could be reached without Ukraine and welcomed the Nordic contribution.
- Denmark: Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen was sceptical of a unilateral approach and wants coordinated dealings with Moscow.
- Sweden: Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said his expectations were low.
- Poland: Prime Minister Donald Tusk said he had urged Mr Stubb and Mr Støre to remain vigilant.
- Lithuania: Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys called for a united European position backed by leverage.
Euronews reported that the European Commission and European Council are discussing a joint EU negotiating team. No unified mandate has been agreed.
Moscow’s terms unchanged
The Kremlin’s account said a lasting settlement required full recognition of Russia’s claimed security interests, and Mr Putin blamed EU and NATO policies for prolonging the war. A source familiar with Moscow’s position told Reuters Russia would not drop its demand for all of the Donbas region. That was anonymously sourced. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the call produced nothing new and described Europe’s efforts as an attempt to gain a place in negotiations. The Guardian reported that Moscow indicated the three leaders would stay in contact.
Strikes across Ukraine
Dnipropetrovsk governor Oleksandr Hanzha said 14 people were killed, up from 13, when a Russian drone hit Dnipro’s railway station. Anadolu Agency reported 14 injured, with six in a serious condition. Ukrainian Railways said a jet-powered drone struck the platform where train No. 866, between Dnipro and Zaporizhzhia, stood. Police put the time at about 11am.
Reuters reported further attacks that day. Two teenage girls were killed and 23 people injured in Chernihiv, including four children. Three were killed and 32 injured in Kremenchuk, and six were injured when buses were hit in Zaporizhzhia. Mr Zelensky said sanctions should not be eased while the attacks continue. Reuters also reported that Ukraine faces an acute shortage of air-defence missiles.
Separately, Associated Press reported that a US-brokered six-day local ceasefire around Oleshky, in Russian-held Kherson region, was holding on its third day. About 2,000 civilians are reported to be trapped there, and aid deliveries are expected to begin on Friday.
The UK dimension
British Defence Secretary Wes Streeting has warned that the UK must be ready for a possible military attack by 2030. He told MPs on 13 October that NATO’s goal of being able to fight and win a war by then reflects a plausible threat scenario, not a prediction that war will start by that date. Government preparedness advice has also encouraged households to keep supplies such as water and non-perishable food, The Independent reported on 24 October. That was resilience advice, not a warning of an imminent attack.
