BBC editor sees little sign Putin will halt Ukraine invasion

Russia launched ballistic missiles and dozens of jet-powered drones at Kyiv on Tuesday, Ukraine’s air force said. Ukrainian authorities reported damage to homes and public transport. Against that backdrop, BBC Russia editor Steve Rosenberg wrote on 30 September that Vladimir Putin’s public statements suggested he still believed Russia could win the war, despite its costs. [5] [1]

In an interview with Rosenberg, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov described Europe as waging war on Russia, citing European-supplied weapons used by Ukraine to strike Russian targets. He also acknowledged Russian use of force against infrastructure in Ukraine, presenting it as action against a threat to Russia. Russia began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. [1] [5]

Sergei Karaganov, honorary chairman of Russia’s Council for Foreign and Defence Policy, told Rosenberg that, if European support for Ukraine continued, his own escalation scenario could begin with conventional strikes on Europe and lead to nuclear use if European countries did not surrender. He predicted Europe would not retaliate. Putin, by contrast, said on 25 September that Russia had no plans for hostilities with Europe. [1] [9]

On 30 September, Putin told Russian lawmakers that the government had prepared a federal budget package for the next three years. He also gave an upbeat assessment of Russia’s economy. [3]