Putin says Europe counting on US midterms to pressure Trump

Putin made the remarks during his annual "Direct Line" end-of-year press conference held in Moscow, a four-and-a-half-hour question-and-answer session with citizens and journalists.

The next midterm elections in the United States are scheduled for November 3, 2026, and will take place during President Trump's second term. Voters will elect all 435 members of the US House of Representatives and 35 of the 100 members of the US Senate, shaping the composition of the 120th US Congress.

Historically, US midterm elections have tended to work against the sitting president. The party holding the White House usually loses seats in Congress, often by a significant margin, as voters use the polls to express dissatisfaction with the administration.

During the event, Putin addressed a wide range of international issues, including the European Union's attempts to use Russia's frozen central bank assets, NATO's eastward expansion, and security arrangements linked to potential elections in Ukraine as part of peace efforts.

He said Russia wants peace and stability, but stressed that lasting solutions must address what Moscow sees as the root causes of the conflict.

"We, too, would very much like to live in peace next year, free of any military conflicts," Putin said. "We need to eliminate the root causes of the conflict so that peace is long-lasting and sustainable."

Speaking about relations with NATO, Putin accused the alliance of breaking earlier assurances.

"There won't be any military operations if you treat us with respect and respect our interests," he said, adding that Russia is not denying countries the right to defend themselves, but insists such choices should not threaten others.

Putin also warned against any attempt to block Kaliningrad, calling it a serious risk of escalation.

"If we are threatened in this way, we will eliminate these threats," he said, warning that such actions could push the conflict to a much larger and more dangerous level.

Despite tensions, Putin said Russia remains open to cooperation with Western nations, including Europe, the United Kingdom, and the United States, provided relations are based on equality and mutual respect, Russia Today reported.

"If we ultimately reach this point, everyone will benefit," he said.

On US-brokered peace efforts related to Ukraine, Putin said responsibility now lies with Western countries and Kyiv's leadership.

"The ball is entirely in the court of our Western opponents, primarily the leaders of the Kiev regime and their European sponsors," he said, adding that Russia is open to negotiations and a peaceful settlement.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Thursday underscored the importance of resilience in weakening Russia's ability to prolong the ongoing war, directly linking sustained pressure on Moscow to the prospects for peace in Europe.

Highlighting endurance as a strategic factor, Zelenskyy said in a post on X, "If we know - and if Putin knows - that we can stay resilient, then his reason to drag out this war becomes much weaker," framing resilience as a tool that alters the aggressor's calculations and affects the overall trajectory of the conflict.

Building on this, the Ukrainian President described resilience as a form of pressure intended to change Russia's approach to the war. "This is how pressure on the aggressor should work - pressure that brings peace," he said, situating Ukraine's resolve within a broader strategy to deter further escalation. (ANI)