Putin calls European leaders ‘little pigs’, warns Russia will seize more Ukrainian territory

Putin calls European leaders ‘little pigs’, warns Russia will seize more Ukrainian territory

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday launched a sharp verbal attack on European leaders, calling them “shoats” or “little pigs,” and warned that Russia would seize more Ukrainian territory by force unless Kyiv and its Western backers engage seriously with US-backed peace proposals.

Speaking at the Russian Defence Ministry’s annual meeting, Putin said Moscow’s forces were advancing on all fronts and insisted that Russia would achieve what it calls the “liberation” of its historical lands either through diplomacy or military action, as efforts to end the nearly four-year war remain stalled.

“If the opposing side and their foreign patrons refuse to engage in substantive discussions, Russia will achieve the liberation of its historical lands by military means,” Putin said.

The United States has held separate talks with Russia, Ukraine, and European leaders, but no breakthrough has emerged. Kyiv and its European allies remain opposed to any settlement involving territorial concessions, while Ukraine has demanded firm security guarantees.

Putin accused Western governments of deliberately fuelling tensions, singling out European politicians for criticism. He claimed that the previous US administration had sought to weaken or destroy Russia and alleged that European leaders had pursued the same goal.

“I have repeatedly stated: this is a lie, nonsense, pure nonsense about some imaginary Russian threat to European countries. But this is being done quite deliberately,” he said, accusing Europe of whipping up hysteria by warning of a possible Russian attack on Nato territory.

Russia currently controls about 19 per cent of Ukraine, including Crimea, which it annexed in 2014, most of the Donbas region, large parts of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, and smaller sections of other regions. Moscow claims these territories are now part of Russia, a position Ukraine rejects and which is not recognised by most of the international community.

Defence Minister Andrei Belousov said Russia plans to increase the pace of its offensive in 2026. A slide presented during his speech showed Moscow spending 5.1 per cent of its gross domestic product on the war in 2025, highlighting the scale of the military effort.

Belousov also accused European powers of attempting to derail peace initiatives and of openly discussing the possibility of a future war between Russia and Nato. “Such a policy creates real prerequisites for the continuation of military operations next year, 2026,” he said.

Responding to Moscow’s remarks, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged allies to show that Russia’s war effort would ultimately fail. Speaking ahead of a key European Union summit, Zelenskyy renewed calls to use nearly $250 billion in frozen Russian sovereign assets held in Europe to support Ukraine.

Meanwhile, US officials are preparing additional sanctions options targeting Russia’s energy sector should Moscow reject a peace deal, according to Bloomberg News. Possible measures include action against vessels linked to Russia’s so-called shadow fleet and traders involved in facilitating Russian oil exports.

(With agency inputs)