Rosenberg: Putin's veiled threat to UK part of Russia's campaign against West

Fonte da imagem, ReutersLegenda da imagem, Putin alertou que “se alguém tentar nos puxar para baixo na cadeia alimentar, nos engolir ou nos devorar, pode ser atingido na boca”.

• Germany says Russia behind Leipzig airport drone attackPublished11 hours ago.

Russian President Vladimir Putin responded with one short sentence when asked at a press conference whether Moscow might strike military facilities in the UK in response to British arms supplies to Ukraine.

O segredo militar não é “sim”. E nem “não”. Ele nos deixa pendurados.

Those two words feel like psychological pressure from the Kremlin: to keep Britain guessing - and stressing - over Moscow's intentions, as well as to encourage the UK to think twice about its staunch support for Ukraine.

It reminds me of a newspaper article I read a few days ago. Moskovsky Komsomolets had suggested that UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham should be seeing Russia, not in his dreams, "but in his nightmares.

Não podemos concluir que mísseis russos estão prestes a ser usados contra alvos no Reino Unido.

Figure caption, UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham: "We will be there in Ukraine's hour of need.

Mas veja o que está acontecendo em outros lugares da Europa.

Germany now says Russia was responsible for last month's drone attack at Leipzig airport.

Putin acusou a Alemanha de “plantar as provas”. Mas o Ministro do Interior da Alemanha, Alexander Dobrindt, descreveu “o padrão bem estabelecido de operações híbridas russas na Europa”.

Could such "operations" now be stepped up in the UK.

Yet it wasn't just Britain that received veiled threats at Putin's press conference.

Assim também o Ocidente, em geral. Putin chamou os países ocidentais de tubarões.

If anyone tries to drag us down the food chain, to gobble us up or devour us, they might get punched in the teeth," he said. "Russia is ready to do that, despite the rapidly growing appetites and teeth of these sharks.

Cada vez mais, o presidente da Rússia mistura o geopolítico com o zoológico. Ele recentemente falou sobre orcas “desmembrando ursos polares” para justificar a guerra da Rússia na Ucrânia.

The press conference in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, was a fascinating window on Putin's state of mind.

For forty-five minutes he took questions from Russian journalists and came across as combative, confident of victory and energised. These days Putin appears most animated when talking about the geopolitical standoff between Russia and the West and the war in Ukraine.

Mesmo que a guerra não tenha seguido o plano, a Rússia sofreu enormes perdas no campo de batalha e a economia do país está sob considerável pressão.

I have no doubt that the enemy will crumble," he declared. Yet the war has lasted more than four-and-a-half years and Ukraine fights on.

Oficialmente, o Kremlin ainda chama isso de “operação militar especial”. Mas até Putin agora está usando a palavra “guerra”.

War is a brutal and unpredictable thing," he said at the press conference.

He claimed that he remained open to negotiations to end the conflict and left no doubt with whom he'd prefer to sit down with from the US administration: Donald Trump's envoys.

Estamos absolutamente confortáveis em trabalhar com aquelas pessoas que conhecemos bem e geralmente confiamos," disse Putin. "[Jared] Kushner e [Steve] Witkoff são sempre convidados bem‑vindos.

There was no such name check for the CIA director who had made a surprise visit to Moscow last week. The Kremlin says the Russian president didn't meet John Ratcliffe during that trip.

O Putin tem chances de encontrar Witkoff e Kushner em breve.

There's nothing in the diary. Not yet.

But if they do head to Moscow, President Trump's envoys will encounter a Kremlin leader who remains determined that any peace in Ukraine should be on Russia's terms.

Reino Unido 'apoia Ucrânia 100%', diz Burnham, após alerta de drone da Rússia.

Drones fabricados no Reino Unido atingem alvos dentro da Rússia.