Russian President Vladimir Putin warned European powers on Tuesday that if they start a war, Moscow is ready to respond in such a way that European nations would be destroyed to the extent that “there would be no one left to negotiate a peace deal.”Almost four years into the war in Ukraine, Europe has mostly backed Ukraine against Russia, which has so far failed to conquer its neighbour. Ukraine and European leaders are scared that a Russian victory could threaten Nato members, a claim Putin has consistently dismissed.Putin said that Russia did not want a war with Europe, when asked about reports that Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto had suggested Europe was preparing for conflict. “If Europe suddenly wants to start a war with us and starts it,” he said, “then it would end so swiftly for Europe that Russia would have no one left to negotiate with.” He used the Russian word for war, reports news agency Reuters.Putin also said the war in Ukraine is not a full-scale conflict, claiming Russia was acting in a “surgical” manner that would not involve a confrontation with European powers.He accused European countries of obstructing US President Donald Trump’s peace efforts by proposing ideas they knew Moscow would reject, allowing them to accuse Russia of unwillingness to negotiate. “They are on the side of war,” Putin said, adding that Europe had effectively locked itself out of talks by cutting off contacts with Russia.Since February 2022, Russia has deployed tens of thousands of troops to Ukraine, marking the largest confrontation between Moscow and the West since the Cold War. US officials estimate that more than 1.2 million Russian and Ukrainian men have died.Putin also threatened to cut Ukraine off from the sea in response to drone attacks on Russian tankers in the Black Sea.