Russian President Vladimir Putin’s speech at a meeting of the Valdai International Discussion Club sparked heated debate in international circles. In its report, the US Institute for the Study of War (ISW) strongly criticised Putin’s statements, in which he spoke of significant successes by Russian troops on the Ukrainian front in September 2026. According to Putin, during that month the Russian army allegedly captured 1,301 square kilometres of Ukrainian territory — 2.5 times more than had previously been claimed.
However, researchers at the ISW point to clearly contradictory data. According to their estimates, in reality, Russian forces lost control of 80.81 square kilometres of territory. And even taking into account all the temporary advances made by Russian forces, the losses amounted to 175.18 square kilometres.
Such discrepancies in the data, according to ISW analysts, form part of the ‘cognitive warfare’ being waged by the Kremlin in an attempt to create the illusion of complete control over the military situation. This raises the question: is Putin himself a hostage to this distorted information, or is he deliberately manipulating the facts to strengthen his position?
At the Valdai Club, Putin also stated that Russia poses no threat to anyone and has no plans to attack other countries in the future. This assertion contrasts with accusations by the ISW that Moscow is increasingly resorting to aggressive actions against Europe, including the use of drones and espionage.
Many Western leaders, including NATO representatives, have expressed concern over Russia’s irresponsible nuclear rhetoric. Allison Garth, a NATO spokesperson, emphasised that the Alliance is ready to defend each of its allies and does not regard NATO’s actions as a threat to Russia.
Putin’s speech comes against a backdrop of escalating tensions between Russia and Europe, where the parties continue to exchange accusations and warnings about possible catastrophic consequences. The tone of the debate suggests that tensions in international politics continue to rise, and there is as yet no clear way out of this situation.