Pentagon warns European leaders to stop 'poking' Russia - as Putin warns he is 'prepared for war'

The Pentagon has told European leaders to stop 'poking' Russia after Vladimir Putin warned he is 'ready' for war.Nato countries have been asked to tone down their rhetoric on the Russian threat in recent weeks. US officials believe some European leaders are risking continental security by ramping up their public warnings against Moscow, according to sources. Among the nations that have received messages urging them to keep public statements in check are Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, said the people, who spoke on condition of anonymity. It was not clear if the messages, which were delivered in bilateral meetings, were conveyed to other European governments.A chilling new threat to the West, Mr Putin last night said he is prepared for a major war with Europe. The Russian tyrant warned there would be 'no winners' if he entered a conflict with Nato.Only last week, Defence Secretary Wes Streeting warned that Britain must be ready for war in little more than 1,000 days. Vladimir Putin speaks during the Russia-Africa Summit on October 29 in Moscow, Russia The Russian dictator says his forces are ready for any clash with Europe (pictured, a Russian tank in Ukraine) Buses and trucks burn at a compound of a transport enterprise which was hit by an overnight Russian drone strike, in Kharkiv, Ukraine, on October 29, 2026He cautioned that the UK's enemies could be 'in a position to attack' by 2030 as he urged the country to 'prepare for the worst'. The Pentagon's request for European leaders to tone down their rhetoric on Russia comes as the Trump administration restarts an effort to press for a negotiated end to the full-scale war in Ukraine, now well into its fifth year. The latest push has blended incentives for Moscow – including sanctions relief – with pressure on Ukraine to halt its attacks on Russian energy infrastructure.A Pentagon official said: 'Private conversations among allies are just that, so we will not comment on these allegations.'Among the comments that have drawn US officials' attention are suggestions by European leaders that Russia is cornered and resorting to increasingly desperate measures as its invasion of Ukraine slows to a crawl, one of the people said.Pentagon policy chief Elbridge Colby, a key figure in an ongoing review of US troop levels in Europe, was one of the US officials delivering the message, the people said. None of the people, who include three European officials and a US official, suggested the advice was communicated in a confrontational manner.The US messages reflect a debate within Nato regarding how to publicly address the threat of an increasingly assertive Russia. The Trump administration has restarted efforts to press for a negotiated end to the full-scale war in Ukraine A car is engulfed by an inferno after a Russian air attack struck Chernyhiv on October 29Some Western officials have argued that emphasising the threat posed by Moscow could play into the hands of the Kremlin, which they say seeks to sow fear and undermine support for Ukraine.Others argue European governments must be transparent to show their electorates that sacrifice and resources are needed to keep Moscow at bay. That is especially true as Russia appears to accelerate a covert campaign of sabotage throughout the continent.Russia has denied that it is pursuing such a campaign.One of the people familiar said that Mr Colby told a Baltic official recently that there should be no 'poking' directed at the Russians.The person said Mr Colby pointed to Europeans publicly suggesting that Russia was 'cornered like a rat' as an example of unhelpful rhetoric.It was not clear what specific statement Mr Colby was referring to. However, Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal referred to Mr Putin as a 'rat in a corner' in late September, suggesting the Russian leader was resorting to sabotage efforts in Europe as Russia had become increasingly bogged down in Ukraine.'We are helping you. The Americans are there,' said a separate European official, describing the Pentagon's recent private messaging. In a separate recent meeting, the Pentagon urged an Estonian delegation to be 'measured' in its communications, according to a person briefed on the encounter, though the person did not say Pentagon officials complained about any specific statement.The defence ministries of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia did not respond to requests for comment, while Nato declined to comment.One of the European officials said that the Pentagon's advice, while cordial, was baffling, given that intelligence services in the Baltic states have in recent months consistently played down the probability of Russia testing Nato's mutual defence provisions.Other Nato intelligence services, by contrast, have publicly warned that Russia could dramatically ramp up its sabotage campaign in the near future.The Pentagon messages to Nato officials come at a fraught time for European security.Moscow has recently intensified its campaign of deniable attacks on Nato countries, Western intelligence officials have said.On Wednesday, German prosecutors said two Belarusians were arrested for allegedly planning to set fire to a building or critical infrastructure facility ⁠in the Nuremberg area. Mr Putin warned there would be 'no winners' if Russia entered a conflict with NatoIn September, the German government blamed Russia for an attempted drone attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport, allegations Moscow has denied.At the same time, US officials have been discussing potential business deals with Russia as part of the Trump administration's push for peace in Ukraine. Those efforts have drawn mixed reactions from European officials, many of whom are pushing for the Kremlin's continued economic isolation.Pentagon planners, meanwhile, are reviewing Washington's force posture in Europe, a process that could see a sharp drawdown in America's troop presence on the continent.US officials have said European Nato members need to assume more responsibility for their own defence, particularly as the US focuses on threats in the Middle East, Latin America and East Asia.Last night, Mr Putin said there would be 'no winners' if he entered a conflict with Nato.Despite insisting he did not want to become embroiled in a bloody fight with Europe, he said if tensions continued to escalate, he and his troops were ready.'Many people keep talking about preparing for war by 2030. Is that right or wrong?' Mr Putin said at a press conference in Moscow on Thursday.'First of all, we are ready, but we don't want any war with Europe. As for them, if anyone wants it, let them prepare.'But they have not achieved their goal of inflicting a strategic defeat on Russia. It's unlikely that this will be possible by 2030.'And if things go too far, there will be no winners at all. Let no one forget that.'Speaking at a Russia-Africa summit, the ageing dictator added Moscow did not wish to see a situation like that in the Strait of Hormuz to occur in the Baltic Sea.The ominous comment refers to the fuel crisis and skyrocketing prices sparked by Donald Trump's war against Iran, which has seen the waterway being blockaded.They also follow an earlier threat by Estonia's foreign minister, who warned Nato could enforce a similar blockage on Russia in the Baltic.Margus Tsahkna said the alliance would choke off this strait 'within hours' to cripple Russia's economic 'lifeline' if Mr Putin continues to threaten Europe.The Estonian diplomat warned such action by the alliance, targeting the international waterway between Estonia and Finland, would create an 'existential' crisis for Moscow, which is already facing a deepening economic crisis.Speaking to journalists during a trip to London, Mr Tsahkna said: 'We are able to form within hours [a force of] 50,000 experienced combat troops. 'We have all these capabilities. The concept of Nato deterrence is, if Russia is invading, there will be the military aggression. 'We will be able to close the Baltic Sea within hours. This is a lifeline for the Russian economy.'The waterway is vital to funding Putin's war machine in Ukraine, with about 60 per cent of Russia's seaborne oil exports flowing through the region.However, the 216 nautical mile-long corridor is mostly bordered by Nato member states and could be targeted by the alliance in the opening salvo of any conflict.Mr Putin's sabre-rattling comes amid fears he is looking to target Nato by using drone strikes, hackers and saboteurs to hit critical national infrastructure.European military leaders fear Russia is escalating its so-called 'hybrid attacks' against the bloc as a way of probing Nato's defence and pressuring countries supporting Ukraine.Western intelligence officials have also separately warned Russian tyrant Mr Putin has an 'appetite' to increase his European sabotage campaign, in a move sources fear could lead to a war by 2030.Earlier this month, the German military warned it faced 'significant' risk of Russian sabotage, as it raised its threat assessment to the second-highest level for the first time.In the UK, Russia is believed to have been behind the firebombing of two homes and a car belonging to former Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.Moscow has also been blamed for a series of drone incursions over British military sites in 2024, with intelligence analysts claiming aircraft were launched from sanctioned Russian oil tankers to spy on nuclear weapons sites and American airbases.Russian drones have also breached the airspace of European countries. Italian fighter jets last month were scrambled to shoot down one of the Kremlin's aircraft over Lithuania.Western intelligence sources have dismissed fears Russia is willing to use nuclear weapons against Europe despite threats from Kremlin mouthpieces in recent months.But they have warned that Mr Putin's thirst to launch a sabotage campaign in Europe risks a 'miscalculation' that could accidentally trigger a confrontation with Nato.