In recent days, international relations have once again taken centre stage following a statement by Russian President Vladimir Putin. He stated that Moscow had been prepared to resume peace talks with Ukraine following the State Duma elections; however, recent events have forced the Kremlin to reconsider its course of action.
Russia claims that on the night of 20 September, Moscow came under massive attack from Ukrainian drones. These events coincided with the vote in the State Duma, which could not fail to attract attention. Commenting on the situation, Vladimir Putin emphasised that the proposals for negotiations remain on the table, but in light of recent events, Russia will ‘give due consideration’ to retaliatory measures.
Furthermore, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed a successful attack on one of the key oil refineries in the Moscow Region. This information was later confirmed by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, which caused further tension between the countries.
Interestingly, against the backdrop of these events, the United States has proposed organising a trilateral meeting involving Russia and Ukraine in the United Arab Emirates. Dmitry Peskov, the Russian President’s press secretary, confirmed that this possibility is under discussion and may be realised in the near future.
At the same time, Putin has given assurances that Moscow has no plans for war with Europe, emphasising that there are no motives or grounds for such actions. However, Europe and the US continue to discuss potential threats. Danish military intelligence believes that Russia may step up hybrid attacks on European countries, although the likelihood of a full-scale military operation is currently assessed as low.
Meanwhile, analysts at The Wall Street Journal are warning of possible Russian aggression against the Baltic states and Poland as early as autumn 2026. They believe that such actions may be aimed at testing NATO’s unity and could include cyber-attacks, acts of sabotage and even small-scale ground operations.
The situation remains tense, and the world is waiting to see what Russia’s next move will be amid such complex geopolitical challenges.