Putin issues chilling war threat as he rejects Trump’s peace deal amid WW3 fears

Russia has issued a stark warning to Europe after President Vladimir Putin declared the country “ready” for war, following his rejection of Donald Trump’s latest proposal to end the conflict in Ukraine. Although Trump had pledged during his campaign to resolve the war within 24 hours of taking office, the situation remains tense nearly a year into his presidency.

Earlier this week, US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s senior advisor Jared Kushner traveled to Moscow for a five-hour meeting with Kremlin officials. Despite lengthy discussions, the two sides failed to reach a breakthrough.

Yuri Ushakov, Putin’s foreign policy adviser, said progress was mixed. He confirmed Russia agreed with parts of Trump’s proposal but strongly objected to other elements, openly expressing their “critical and even negative” stance on certain points.

A key sticking issue was Russia’s demand that Ukraine surrender the entire Donbas region as a condition for any peace agreement. Ushakov emphasized that territorial questions were central to resolving the conflict.

Although he stressed the talks were “useful” and “constructive,” the path to a peace deal appears distant. Just before Ushakov’s remarks, Putin repeated that Russia does not intend to start a war in Europe—but insisted it is fully prepared to fight if provoked.

He warned that if Europe were to initiate conflict, negotiations could quickly become impossible. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, speaking in Dublin, said the outcome of the Moscow-Washington talks would shape upcoming diplomatic moves.

Zelenskyy added he is willing to meet Trump soon, stressing that Ukrainian lives are being lost daily and future decisions hinge on these diplomatic signals.