4 days ago
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By Vladimir Isachenkov
October 3, 2025 — 11.46am
Moscow: Russian President Vladimir Putin has called the assassination of conservative American activist Charlie Kirk a “disgusting atrocity” that reflects a “deep split” in American society.
Speaking at a forum of foreign policy experts in Russia, Putin hailed Kirk, who was shot dead on September 10 while speaking at a university in Utah, as a hero killed for promoting the same conservative values that Russia shares.
“This is a disgusting atrocity, especially since it was broadcast live. We all essentially saw it. It was truly disgusting, horrific. First and foremost, of course, I offer my condolences to Mr Kirk’s family and all his loved ones. We sympathise and empathise,” Putin said.
In a wide-ranging speech, Russian President Vladimir Putin also warned the United States that supplies of long-range missiles to Ukraine would seriously damage relations between Moscow and Washington.Credit: AP
“What happened is a sign of a deep rift in society. In the United States, I don’t think there’s any need to escalate the situation externally because the country’s political leadership is trying to restore order domestically.”
In a wide-ranging speech, Putin also warned the US that supplies of long-range missiles to Ukraine would seriously damage relations between Moscow and Washington but would not change the situation on the battlefield, where the Russian army is making slow but steady advances.
The potential supply of US Tomahawk cruise missiles to Kyiv would signal a “qualitatively new stage of escalation, including in relations between Russia and the US”, Putin said at the forum in Russia’s Black Sea resort of Sochi.
Charlie Kirk hands out hats at Utah Valley University on the day he was killed.Credit: AP
The Russian leader noted that even though Tomahawk missiles would inflict damage on Russia if supplied to Ukraine, Russian air defences would quickly adapt to the new threat. “It will certainly not change the balance of force on the battlefield,” he added, emphasising that the Russian military was continuously making gains against Ukraine.
Asked about US President Donald Trump dismissing Russia as a “paper tiger” because of its failure to defeat its smaller neighbour after more than 3½ years of fighting, Putin argued that Russia had faced all the NATO allies backing Kyiv.
“We are fighting against the entire bloc of NATO and we keep moving, keep advancing and feel confident, and we are a paper tiger; what NATO itself is?” he said. “A paper tiger? Go and deal with this paper tiger then.”
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The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Putin’s remarks.
At the same time, Putin hailed Trump’s efforts to help negotiate peace in Ukraine and described their August summit in Alaska as productive.
“It was good that we made an attempt to search for and find possible ways to settle the Ukrainian crisis,” he said, adding that he felt “comfortable” talking to Trump.
Putin also reaffirmed his offer to the US to extend their last remaining nuclear arms control pact for one more year after it expires in February. The 2010 New START treaty limits each country to no more than 1550 deployed nuclear warheads and 700 deployed missiles and bombers.
“If they don’t need it, we don’t need it either,” he said, adding that “we feel confident about our nuclear shield”.
While praising Trump and trying to emphasise potential common interests, the Russian president sent a stern warning to Ukraine’s Western allies against trying to seize ships that carry Russian oil to global markets. He argued that would amount to piracy and could trigger a forceful response while sharply destabilising the global oil market.
Asked about the detention of an oil tanker off France’s Atlantic coast, which French President Emmanuel Macron linked to Russia’s so-called shadow fleet of ageing tankers of uncertain ownership that are avoiding Western sanctions, Putin cast it as an attempt by Macron to distract public attention from his country’s own internal problems and mockingly likened the French leader to Napoleon.
He strongly warned the West against such action, arguing that it defies international maritime law and risks triggering military confrontation. “It’s piracy, and how do you deal with pirates? You destroy them,” he said.
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Putin also scoffed at Western claims of possible Russian involvement in recent drone flights over Denmark, casting them as part of purported NATO efforts to “inflame tensions to boost the defence spending”.
Intrusions into NATO’s airspace blamed on Russia reached an unprecedented scale last month. A swarm of Russian drones flew into Poland, Estonia complained about an intrusion by Russian fighter jets and numerous unidentified drones were sighted over Denmark, Germany and other countries in what some European officials described as Moscow testing NATO’s response.
European defence ministers have agreed to develop a “drone wall” along their borders to better detect, track and intercept drones violating Europe’s airspace.
Putin dismissed Western allegations of Russia’s purported aggressive plans against NATO allies as “nonsense” aimed at distracting public attention from domestic problems.
“We are carefully watching the growing militarisation of Europe,” he said. “Is all of this just words, or is it time for us to take countermeasures? No one should have doubt that Russia’s countermeasures will not take a long time to come.”
At one point during the four-hour event televised live, Putin, a former Soviet KGB officer and one-time head of Russia’s top domestic security agency, misspoke and referred to himself as “the CIA director” while describing a meeting with former US president George W. Bush and his administration officials. “The future director,” Putin quipped as the audience broke into laughter.
AP, Reuters
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