Russia Warns Immediate Response to Western Provocations Amid Ukraine Conflict

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha condemned the Russian drone attacks on Shostka, describing them as deliberate terror against civilians and calling for harsh responses including new, crushing sanctions against Russia to raise the war's cost for Moscow. Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that Russia would respond immediately if provoked by the West, mocking U.S. President Donald Trump's dismissal of Russia as a "paper tiger" and asserting that Russia is making progress in Ukraine against NATO forces. Putin accused Western countries of escalating the conflict by supplying Ukraine with weapons and intelligence, specifically warning that providing Tomahawk missiles to Kyiv would mark a dangerous new stage involving direct U.S. military involvement. He dismissed European allegations of NATO airspace violations by Russian drones as hysteria and urged Europe to calm down amid rising tensions. Putin portrayed the war in Ukraine as a pivotal moment in Russia's relations with the West, blaming NATO's expansion for humiliating Russia after the Soviet Union's collapse and warning that Russia's countermeasures to increased European militarization would be swift and significant. Despite these warnings, Putin denied any intention to attack NATO members while threatening potential responses to Ukrainian shelling near nuclear power plants.