Putin Says NATO Is Preparing for War—and Compares Western Countries to Nazi Germany in 1941 — UNITED24 Media

Russian leader Vladimir Putin claimed that NATO countries are now openly speaking about preparing for war with Russia, as he accused Western governments of using what he called a false Russian threat to justify rising military spending.

Putin made the remarks during a meeting with graduates of Russian higher military educational institutions, according to the Clash Report on June 23.

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“If earlier NATO countries limited themselves to supporting the Kyiv regime, which came to power illegally by armed means through a coup, now they are openly saying in the West that they are preparing for war with us, increasing military and offensive budgets,” Putin said.

The Russian leader claimed that NATO and EU governments are using warnings about Russia to justify what he described as the “radical militarization” of their states.

“At the same time, to justify such costs and the radical militarization of their states, the leaders of NATO and the European Union, as before, use false statements about a supposedly Russian military threat,” Putin said.

The West is openly talking about preparing for war with us, increasing military offensive budgets.

At the same time, to justify such costs and the radical militarization of their states, the leaders of NATO and the European Union, as before, use false statements about a… pic.twitter.com/ngO8ruzDSS — Clash Report (@clashreport) June 23, 2026

He went on to accuse the West of creating threats against Russia, forcing Moscow to respond, and then blaming Russia for escalation.

“The scheme of actions of the so-called democratic West is very simple: first, they create threats to our country, force us to take actions necessary for self-defense and self-protection, and then they immediately accuse us of all mortal sins to justify continuing their aggressive policy and their aggressive actions against Russia,” he claimed.

Putin also drew a parallel with World War II, claiming that Nazi Germany also tried to blame the Soviet Union after attacking it in 1941.

“Even after the treacherous attack on the Soviet Union on June 22, 1941, precisely a treacherous attack, Hitler’s Germany tried to accuse the USSR and Stalin of aggression against, as we say today, the collective West,” Putin claimed.

The comments came as NATO countries continue to increase defense spending and expand military readiness in response to Russia’s full-scale war of aggression against Ukraine and repeated threats against European states.

Putin also said he saw no reason for talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, citing Ukrainian strikes. In the same remarks, he called what he described as the “Ukrainian regime” “insane.”

The Russian leader also claimed that Russian forces were close to reaching Kostiantynivka and were pressing Ukrainian troops along all sections of the contact line.

He repeated Moscow’s long-running claim that Russia “endured for eight years” and tried to negotiate before being “forced” to defend people in Donbas—a narrative the Kremlin has used to justify its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Earlier, reports emerged that Russian state television has produced separate, off-air news broadcasts for Russian leader Vladimir Putin since 2011, tailoring an idealized picture of the country for him alone.