ISTANBUL/MOSCOW

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday said Moscow is “ready” to respond immediately if Europe were to launch hostilities, while accusing European countries of obstructing US-led efforts to reach a settlement in Ukraine and putting forward proposals he called “unacceptable” for Russia.

“We’re not going to fight Europe; I’ve said that a hundred times. But if Europe suddenly wants to fight us and starts, we’re ready right now,” he emphasized, as quoted by Tass news agency. “There can be no doubt about that.”

Putin claimed that European governments have “excluded themselves” from Ukraine negotiations and are now attempting to undermine US President Donald Trump’s ongoing diplomacy with Kyiv and Moscow.

“(European countries) have removed themselves from this process – first. Second, seeing that they don’t like the results today, they have begun to hinder both the current US administration and President Trump from achieving peace through negotiations,” he said.

Putin insisted that European attempts to amend US peace ideas are aimed at derailing the wider process.

“All these changes are aimed at only one thing – to block the entire peace process, to put forward demands that are absolutely unacceptable for Russia, and they understand this,” Putin noted, adding that Europe is trying to shift blame for any collapse onto Moscow.

He added that European governments are upset about being left out of diplomacy but stressed that “no one excluded them – they excluded themselves.”

Putin also said Russia would allow Europeans to rejoin talks if they “take into account realities on the ground.”

On maritime security, Putin accused Ukraine of “piracy” after reported drone attacks on tankers in the Black Sea.

“Attacks on tankers, not even in neutral waters, but in the special economic zone of another state, a third state, is piracy,” he said, and added that Russia will expand strikes on Ukrainian ports and vessels entering them in response to the alleged attack on the tanker.

Russia’s River and Sea Transport Agency earlier in the day claimed that the MIDVOLGA-2 tanker was hit by an unmanned aerial vehicle at around 8 am local time (0500GMT) while sailing in the Black Sea.

A Ukrainian Foreign Ministry official said Kyiv “has nothing to do” with a reported drone strike on a Russian tanker in the Black Sea, rejecting Moscow’s accusations and questioning the logic of the vessel’s alleged route.