Putin tells Trump Russia has no plans to attack Europe Putin's message to TrumpVladimir Putin has given Donald Trump a reassuring message about Europe. Russia, the Kremlin says, has “no aggressive plans” towards European countries. The claim came during a roughly hour-long phone call between the Russian president and Trump, described by the Kremlin as “constructive and quite frank”. But there is an awkward problem. Europe isn't quite as reassured. Moscow says victory is closeWhile Putin was telling Trump that Russia has no aggressive intentions towards Europe, the Kremlin was simultaneously insisting that victory in Ukraine is close. Putin reportedly told Trump about the battlefield situation and Russia's determination to achieve its military objectives. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov went even further. “Victory is very close,” he declared. Russia remains confident in its military strength, Peskov said, while also insisting that Moscow wants a peaceful settlement. That is quite a combination. Russia says it wants peace. Russia says victory is close. And Russia says it has no plans to attack Europe. Europe isn't buying the reassuranceEuropean governments have been increasingly concerned about what they describe as Russian sabotage and covert operations on European soil. Germany recently blamed Moscow for an alleged attempt to disrupt Leipzig/Halle Airport using a drone carrying explosives. Moscow denies such accusations. But the concerns go well beyond one incident. European officials have spent months warning about sabotage, cyberattacks, infrastructure attacks and other forms of Russian activity that they believe are designed to destabilise the continent without triggering an open war. And then there is NATO. A Russian drone crosses into RomaniaOn Tuesday, Romania reported that a drone entered its territory before eventually crashing across the border in neighbouring Moldova. Two Spanish F-18 fighter jets tracked its flight path for around half an hour, according to Romania's defence ministry. Moldovan authorities said the drone crashed in a sunflower field and caused fires. Nobody was injured. It is another reminder of just how close the war is getting to NATO territory. And that makes Putin's reassurance to Trump rather more interesting. The peace team is still workingAgainst all of this, Trump's negotiators Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff have been trying to find a way out of the war. They recently met Putin in Moscow before travelling to Kyiv for talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. There was no breakthrough. But Zelenskyy says the Americans brought some “very good, worthwhile ideas” for ending the war. He now hopes to meet Trump around September 20. That could become an important moment. Zelenskyy wants more air defenceThe Ukrainian president is also expected to press Trump for more Patriot air-defence systems. Ukraine says it needs hundreds of additional interceptors to protect its cities from Russian ballistic missiles and drones. The scale of the requirement is enormous. British Defence Secretary Wes Streeting said Ukraine needs around 300 Patriot missiles, 500 air-to-air interceptors and billions of dollars for additional drones. At the same time, the European Commission has approved a €3.2 billion loan to help Ukraine purchase components for Patriot systems. So while the diplomats are talking peace, the weapons pipeline is still running. Russia and Ukraine are still pounding each otherThe weekend pause surrounding the American visitors has now ended. Russian attacks killed seven people and injured 28 in Kyiv and the surrounding region, Ukrainian officials said. Russia reported three people killed and 13 wounded in areas under its control. Kyiv said more than 50 sites were damaged during the Russian attack, including homes, schools, dormitories, shops and petrol stations. Russia says it was targeting Ukrainian military-industrial facilities. The air war is therefore continuing even while Washington's peace effort tries to stop the larger conflict. The battlefield tells another storyRussia's confidence is striking. The Kremlin says its military is close to victory. Western analysts aren't nearly so convinced. The Institute for the Study of War says Russian advances have slowed considerably, with Moscow's forces struggling to make major progress along the roughly 1,250-kilometre front. Its assessment suggests Russia could take years to capture the remainder of Donetsk — if it can do so at all. And that may explain why the war is increasingly being fought from the air. A war that refuses to endRussia is hitting Ukrainian cities. Ukraine is striking Russian oil facilities. Both sides are attacking energy infrastructure. Grain shipping remains a problem. And winter is approaching. Yet at the diplomatic level, something potentially important is happening. Trump's negotiators are talking to both sides. Zelenskyy says there are genuinely worthwhile ideas on the table. Putin is talking directly to Trump. And everyone is claiming to want peace. But believe the message — or watch the missiles?That leaves a fascinating contradiction. Putin tells Trump that Russia has no aggressive plans towards Europe. At the same time, Russia says it is determined to achieve its military objectives in Ukraine. The Kremlin says victory is close. European governments accuse Moscow of covert attacks. A Russian drone crosses into NATO-member Romania. And Russian missiles and drones continue hammering Ukraine. The diplomatic door is clearly still open. But the battlefield hasn't noticed. **Putin says Russia doesn't want war with Europe. Europe is preparing for the possibility that he might change his mind. And Trump is now trying to find out whether the man sitting opposite him really wants peace — or simply believes he can win.** Original Content — Source: AP.
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