Russian President Vladimir Putin issued a direct threat against Europe: He stressed that if Europe wants to fight, we are ready now , claiming that the situation is fully under the control of the Russian military.

He accused the Europeans of obstructing US President Donald Trump's efforts to end the war in Ukraine by pushing proposals they knew would be completely unacceptable to Moscow, so they could then accuse Russia of not wanting peace.

He added that European governments have been excluded from peace talks because they have cut off contacts with Russia. They support the continuation of the war, they have no peace agenda, he said, describing their stance as an obstacle to the process of finding a solution for Ukraine.

• He particularly focused on the city of Pokrovsk, noting that it has special significance for Russia, as it is a major base for fulfilling goals.

Threats of attack on tankers

Putin threatened that Russia would cut off Ukraine from the sea in response to drone attacks on tankers of Russia's shadowy Black Sea fleet.

The most radical solution is to cut off Ukraine from the sea, then piracy will be de facto impossible, he said.

He said Moscow would intensify strikes on Ukrainian facilities and ships and would take measures against tankers from countries that aid Ukraine.

On Saturday, a Ukrainian security official said Ukrainian naval drones had struck two sanctioned tankers in the Black Sea as they headed to a Russian port to load oil for foreign markets.

Today, a Russian-flagged tanker carrying sunflower oil reported a drone attack off the Turkish coast, but the 13 crew members were unharmed, according to the Turkish maritime authority and the company Tribeca.

Kiev said it had nothing to do with the incident.

Ukraine has also carried out missile and drone attacks on the Russian port of Novorossiysk on the Black Sea, causing disruptions to oil shipments.

Putin expressed hope that the Ukrainian leadership will think about whether such practices are worth it.