Kremlin backs renewed European contacts
Russia endorses efforts to rebuild relations with European nations, President Vladimir Putin said late on Thursday, while cautioning that any outbreak of conflict would leave nobody victorious. He spoke to reporters after hosting a summit with African leaders in Moscow.[S1][S2][S3]
Putin addressed his phone conversations this week with the leaders of Norway and Finland, saying Moscow was prepared for a possible war with Europe even though it had no wish for one. He argued that Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere were right to place the calls, despite complaints from some European capitals that the two had broken ranks by reaching out to Moscow.[S1][S4]
Warning on escalation and Baltic navigation
The Russian president said his country wanted nothing to obstruct navigation in the Baltic Sea. Cutting off communication, he suggested, could produce conditions resembling those in the Strait of Hormuz since the US-Iranian conflict began in February.[S1][S5]
Putin questioned whether anyone would want the Baltic to resemble the Gulf or the Strait of Hormuz, stating that Russia did not seek such an outcome but would answer any challenge. He also said that if matters went too far, no side would come out ahead.[S1][S6]
