Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan – November 27, 2025 – Russian President Vladimir Putin sought to calm mounting European fears of a wider war on Thursday, insisting that Russia has no intention of attacking any European country and dismissing such concerns as “outright lies and nonsense.” Speaking after a summit of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) in the Kyrgyz capital, Putin said Moscow is even prepared to put its lack of aggressive intentions toward Europe in writing.
The remarks came just hours after French President Emmanuel Macron announced the introduction of a limited form of voluntary military service beginning next year – the first significant expansion of France’s armed forces since mandatory conscription was abolished in 1997. Macron explicitly described the move as a response to “rising fears of a conflict with Russia,” declaring that “the only way to avoid danger is to prepare for it.”
In Bishkek, Putin used the CSTO platform – attended by the leaders of Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Armenia – to project both reassurance and strength. He described the alliance as purely defensive and accused Western politicians of inventing the threat of Russian aggression to justify massive increases in military spending across NATO countries.
Shifting to Ukraine, Putin for the first time publicly acknowledged the existence of a detailed US-brokered peace plan that has been circulating among diplomats in recent weeks. He described it as a set of “questions put forward for discussion” rather than a finished document, emphasizing that “there are no final versions yet.” Crucially, he confirmed that a high-level American delegation will travel to Moscow next week to continue negotiations, signaling that Russia is now ready for “serious” talks.
Putin tied any potential ceasefire directly to one of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s clearest red lines: the status of territories currently occupied by Russian forces. Warning that Russian troops are advancing rapidly in Donetsk region, he stated bluntly: “If Ukrainian soldiers leave the occupied territories, then we will cease hostilities. If they do not leave, we will achieve it by military means.”
The Russian leader claimed that his forces have now fully encircled the key logistics hub of Pokrovsk as well as the nearby city of Myrnohrad, asserting that the situation on the battlefield gives Moscow strong leverage. Independent military analysts confirm intense fighting around Pokrovsk and gradual Russian gains, though Ukrainian commanders insist their defenses remain intact and are inflicting heavy casualties.
In a pointed attack on Zelenskyy’s legitimacy, Putin declared that signing any binding agreements with Ukraine’s current leadership would be “pointless.” He argued that Zelenskyy lost legitimacy when presidential elections were postponed indefinitely under martial law – a decision Kyiv and its Western partners maintain is unavoidable during an active invasion.
The Kremlin’s openness to the American initiative stems in part from battlefield momentum and in part from President Donald Trump’s personal involvement. Putin praised Washington for finally “taking Russian positions into account” and suggested the circulating 28-point framework could serve as a basis for a final settlement.
Meanwhile in Paris, Macron unveiled plans for a paid, voluntary 10-month military training program aimed at 3,000 young French citizens in its first year, with ambitions to scale up to 10,000 annually by 2030. The €2 billion initiative will not restore full conscription but represents the most significant restructuring of France’s defense posture in a generation. Macron framed it as essential preparation in an era when “power once again prevails over law” and war has returned to Europe.
France’s decision reflects a broader trend: Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, and several Baltic and Nordic states are all debating or implementing expanded reserve forces and youth military training programs. Sweden reintroduced conscription in 2018, while Poland already trains every adult male for potential wartime mobilization.
Putin seized on these developments to bolster his narrative that Europe is being deliberately frightened into an arms race. “Russia has no plans, no interest, and no intention of attacking Europe,” he repeated, offering to formalize the pledge in an international document.
As the American delegation prepares to land in Moscow early next week, the coming days will test whether Putin’s combination of battlefield confidence, diplomatic flexibility, and public restraint can translate into a breakthrough – or whether the gap between Russian demands and Ukrainian red lines remains unbridgeable.
For now, Europe’s leaders appear unconvinced by Moscow’s assurances. From the French Alps to the Baltic coast, governments are quietly concluding that the best guarantee against danger is not Russian promises, but their own readiness to fight.
