Putin warns the West he is 'prepared for war' and if 'things go too far, there will be no winners'

Vladimir Putin has warned he is prepared for a major war with Europe.

In a chilling new threat to the West, the Russian tyrant said there would be 'no winners' if he entered a conflict with Nato.

Despite insisting he did not want to become embroiled in a bloody fight with Europe, he said if tensions continued to escalate, he and his troops are ready.

'Many people keep talking about preparing for war by 2030. Is that right or wrong?' Putin said at a press conference in Moscow on Thursday.

'First of all, we are ready, but we don't want any war with Europe. As for them, if anyone wants it, let them prepare.

'But they have not achieved their goal of inflicting a strategic defeat on Russia. It's unlikely that this will be possible by 2030. 

'And if things go too far, there will be no winners at all. Let no one forget that.'

Speaking at a Russia-Africa summit, the ageing dictator added Moscow did not wish to see a situation like that in the Strait of Hormuz to occur in the Baltic Sea.

The ominous comment refers to the fuel crisis and skyrocketing prices sparked by the Donald Trump's war against Iran, which has seen the waterway being blockaded.

Vladimir Putin, pictured at the Russia-Africa summit on Thursday, has issued a chilling new threat to the West saying he is ready for war 

Buses and trucks burn at a compound of a transport enterprise which was hit by an overnight Russian drone strike, in Kharkiv, Ukraine, on October 29, 2026

Putin says his forces are ready for any clash with Europe (pictured, a Russian tank in Ukraine)

They also follow an earlier threat by Estonia's foreign minister, who warned Nato could enforce a similar blockage on Russia in the Baltic.  

Margus Tsahkna said the alliance would choke off this strait 'within hours' to cripple Russia's economic 'lifeline' if Putin continues to threaten Europe. 

The Estonian diplomat warned such action by the alliance, targeting the international waterway between Estonia and Finland, would create an 'existential' crisis for Moscow, which is already facing a deepening economic crisis. 

Speaking to journalists during a trip to London, Mr Tsahkna said: 'We are able to form within hours [a force of] 50,000 experienced combat troops. We have all these capabilities. The concept of Nato deterrence is, if Russia is invading, there will be the military aggression. We will be able to close the Baltic Sea within hours. This is a lifeline for the Russian economy.' 

The waterway is vital to funding Putin's warmachine in Ukraine, with about 60 per cent of Russia's seaborne oil exports flowing through the region. 

However, the 216 nautical mile-long corridor is mostly bordered by Nato member states and could be targeted by the alliance in the opening salvo of any conflict.  

Putin's sabre-rattling comes amid fears he is looking to target Nato by using drone strikes, hackers and saboteurs to hit critical national infrastructure. 

European military leaders fear Russia is escalating its so-called 'hybrid attacks' against the bloc as a way of probing Nato's defence and pressuring countries supporting Ukraine.

Putin's threat comes as he continues to strike Ukraine, with missiles hitting Dnipro on Oct 29

A car is engulfed by an inferno after a Russian air attack struck Chernyhiv on October  29

Western intelligence officials have also separately warned Russian tyrant Vladimir Putin has an 'appetite' to increase his European sabotage campaign, in a move sources fear could lead to a war by 2030.

Earlier this month, the German military warned it faced 'significant' risk of Russian sabotage, as it raised its threat assessment to the second-highest level for the first time.

In the UK, Russia is believed to have been behind the firebombing of two homes and a car belonging to former Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.

Moscow has also been blamed for a series of drone incursions over British military sites in 2024, with intelligence analysts claiming aircraft were launched from sanctioned Russian oil tankers to spy on nuclear weapons sites and American airbases.

Russian drones have also breached the airspace of European countries. Italian fighter jets last month were scrambled to shoot down one of the Kremlin's aircraft over Lithuania.

Western intelligence sources have dismissed fears Russia is willing to use nuclear weapons against Europe despite threats from Kremlin mouthpieces in recent months.

But they have warned that Putin's thirst to launch a sabotage campaign in Europe risks a 'miscalculation' that could accidentally trigger a confrontation with Nato.

'The appetite of Russia to conduct... sub-threshold or hybrid operations against Nato countries, whether this is sabotage or cyber, is very clear. President Putin absolutely wants to avoid a direct confrontation with Nato. However, in all of this, there is the risk of miscalculation,' one official said.

Speaking on Thursday, Putin said he supported any steps aimed at restoring relations with European countries.

But his comments came as Russia continued its strikes against Ukraine. The latest overnight blitz killed 14 people after a railway station in Dnipro was struck.

Volodymyr Zelensky called on the America and Europe to take action following the 'horrific' onslaught.

The bombardment followed a huge strike by Ukraine on the Russian capital during a summit between Russia and dozens of African leaders.

Chancellor John Healey announced on Wednesday Britain would be provide £10billion of fresh support to Ukraine as he unveiled his first Budget. 

But in spite of the growing threat posed by Russia, former Defence Secretary Mr Healey failed to outline how the UK would hit critical spending targets to boost its military.

He vowed Labour would spend 3 per cent of GDP on the Armed Forces by 2030, and would hit a wider Nato target of 3.5 per cent by 2035.

But he refused to outline how this would happen, instead delaying the decision to next year. 

Putin is seen at a press conference during the third Russia-Africa Summit in Moscow, on Oct 29

On Tuesday, the leaders of Norway and Finland held a 'frank and substantive' phone conversation with Putin on Tuesday, sparking criticism from fellow Nordic leaders.

The 90-minute conversation marked the first call between pro-Ukrainian European leaders and the Russian president in more than a year.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen criticised the call, saying it 'was not coordinated with the rest of us'.

Meanwhile, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, speaking from an event in Helsinki, said he had been given no advance notice and held low expectations from the call.

Defending the outreach to the Kremlin chief, Finland's president Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store said in a joint statement that 'ending the war requires direct discussions'.

'We stressed the importance of de-escalation,' Store said. 'There are big differences in views,' he told Norwegian media in Helsinki, where he is taking part in a meeting of Nordic leaders.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who spoke with the two Nordic leaders after their call with Putin, said on social media that they had 'made it clear to the Russian leader that real de-escalatory steps are needed regarding our energy and infrastructure'.