Putin says Russia is no threat to Europe as Kyiv school hit by drone
Vladimir Putin told a Moscow foreign policy forum that Russia is not threatening Europe but would respond to aggression, while a Russian drone hit a school in west Kyiv with no injuries reported.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
Russian President Vladimir Putin told a foreign policy forum in Moscow that Russia is not threatening anyone in Europe, but warned that Moscow would respond to any act of aggression. He dismissed what he called a real hysteria in Europe and said Russia had no problems with Europe unless European states did something wrong that endangered Russian security.
Speaking to European states that supply weapons to Ukraine, Putin did not say Russia intended to strike their territory or facilities tomorrow. He said the threat was one Russia had to understand, assess and keep in mind, and that Russia's armed forces and military intelligence needed to know where threats came from. Western officials have accused Russia of waging a hidden war against Europe through sabotage and violations of airspace.
Putin also said he was ready for talks, but only on the basis of Russia's national interest. That suggested any peace settlement would have to be on Russia's terms. The Kremlin leader appeared relaxed and confident, despite the fact that his so-called special military operation in Ukraine has not gone to plan.
Foreign policy hawk Sergei Karaganov, who was at the forum, said Russia should be prepared to launch a preemptive strike on Europe because of its support for Ukraine. He said a first series of blows would be conventional, but that if Europe did not surrender Russia would have to go nuclear. Asked about a response from Europe, he said there would be no response. Asked whether the last four and a half years of the special military operation had been disastrous for Russia, he said: 'We've lost a lot of people, yes. And I criticize my government for not being rough enough but now we are getting rough enough in Ukraine.'
The remarks came as Russia continued attacks on Ukraine. In Kyiv, CCTV caught the moment a Russian drone hit the third floor of a school in the west of the city. Children and teachers were inside taking cover. No injuries were reported.
The forum gave no sign that Putin was about to end the war. Peace still feels a long way off.
On screen
Stills are sampled automatically at 60-second intervals. Where shown, the still is the nearest available frame from the relevant broadcast segment and is included to show what was on screen during that part of the broadcast. A still may not correspond to the exact second of a quoted phrase.
Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, grouped by how many channels reported each one. Select a dot to see the source excerpt.
| Claim |  |  |
|---|---|---|
| Reported by all 2 channels | ||
| Foreign policy hawk Sergei Karaganov said Russia should be prepared to launch a preemptive nuclear strike on Europe. | Reported by BBC One | |
| Putin stated that Russia is not a threat to Europe and has no problems with Europe unless Europe endangers Russia's security. | ||
| Only on one channel | ||
| A Russian drone struck a school in western Kyiv while children and teachers were inside, with no injuries reported. | Not reported by BBC News | |
| Putin expressed readiness for talks based on Russia's national interests. | Not reported by BBC One | |
| Putin stated that arms supplies to Ukraine are a threat Russia must keep in mind, while saying he was not announcing imminent strikes on supplier countries. | Not reported by BBC News | |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
BBC ONE West carried the same Moscow forum report on Putin's denial of threat and warning to arms suppliers, plus Sergei Karaganov's call for a preemptive strike. It was the only channel here to add a short update on the Kyiv drone strike, saying a school was hit and no injuries were reported. Its wider bulletin also mixed in unrelated UK and economic news, so the Russia story was one item among many.
- “He said wasn't threatening anyone in Europe, but it would respond to an act of aggression”
- “it is a threat that we must clearly understand assess and keep in mind”
- “CCTV caught the moment when a Russian drone hit the third floor of a school in the west of the city”
BBC NEWS led its Russia segment on Putin's message to Europe and framed it around the foreign policy forum in Moscow and the war's direction. It gave the full correspondent report, including Putin's suggestion he is ready for talks on Russia's terms and Sergei Karaganov's nuclear warning, but it did not mention the Kyiv school drone strike. The tone was analytical, focusing on what the Kremlin might do next rather than the immediate attack on Kyiv.
- “Russia's President Vladimir Putin says that Moscow is not threatening anyone in Europe, but has warned that it would respond to any act of aggression.”
- “I am not saying that we intend to launch strikes tomorrow against the territory or the facilities of countries supplying weapons to Ukraine.”
- “The first series of blows will be conventional but if Europe does not surrender then unfortunately we'll have to go nuclear.”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.