The question was raised during Putin's meeting with Russian journalists in the capital of Kyrgyzstan. The press conference lasted about 45 minutes and addressed, among other topics, the war in Ukraine, Russia's relations with Western countries, and potential negotiations, as reported by [Entrevue](https://entrevue.fr/ru/monde/poutine-entretient-le-flou-sur-deventuelles-frappes-contre-le-royaume-uni/). One of the journalists was interested in whether Moscow is considering strikes against military facilities in the United Kingdom in response to British arms supplies to Ukraine. Putin neither confirmed nor denied such a possibility. — "It’s a secret. A military secret," he replied. The French publication **Entrevue** interprets this formulation as intentional ambiguity, allowing Moscow to keep its intentions undisclosed while simultaneously increasing psychological pressure on the United Kingdom. ## Putin Compared Western Countries to 'Sharks' At the press conference, the Russian president also used harsh rhetoric towards Western countries, comparing them to "sharks." "If someone tries to push us down the food chain, swallow or devour us, they may get a punch in the teeth," Putin stated, adding that Russia is ready for this. As noted by Entrevue, the Russian president has previously resorted to such metaphors when discussing international politics and the war in Ukraine. These statements came against the backdrop of a new escalation in relations between Russia and European countries. In particular, Germany has placed the blame on Moscow for a recent incident involving a drone at Leipzig/Halle Airport. The Russian side rejects these accusations, and Putin spoke of a "fabrication of evidence" by Berlin. ## 'War is a Cruel and Unpredictable Thing' Speaking about the situation on the Ukrainian front, Putin expressed confidence in the success of Russian troops. "I have no doubt that the enemy will collapse," he stated. At the same time, when discussing the ongoing situation, Putin used the word "war," noting: "War is a cruel and unpredictable thing." The fighting has been ongoing for more than four and a half years, with both sides suffering significant losses. ## Named 'Desired Guests' from the U.S. Putin also touched upon the possibility of negotiations and stated that Moscow remains open to dialogue. According to him, the Russian side feels more comfortable working with American representatives whom they know well and to whom they trust to some extent. Among such interlocutors, Putin specifically mentioned Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, describing them as "always desired guests." However, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, who, according to Entrevue, visited Moscow the previous week, was not mentioned in these remarks. The Kremlin reported that Ratcliffe did not meet with the Russian president. The most resonant episode of the press conference was indeed Putin's response to the question about possible strikes against British facilities. The phrase "military secret" does not confirm such plans, but at the same time, the Russian president preferred not to publicly exclude such a scenario.
