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President Vladimir Putin has taunted the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, declaring that the alliance has failed to defeat Russia through Ukraine.
Putin spoke at the Kremlin during a meeting with military personnel participating in the special military operation as part of the Russia Day commemoration.
The premier said his country stands alone against the “so-called collective West represented by NATO,” with several countries supporting actions directed against Russia.
”It was them (NATO) who started the war,” he emphasized. “I have said this many times, we did not initiate the conflict when the special military operation began (in 2022).”
Putin insists NATO’s “coup d’etat in Ukraine” and deployment of artillery and rocket systems compelled Russia to protect the people of Crimea (in 2014), leading to the war in eastern Ukraine.
“We did not wake up one day and decided that we would start a war tomorrow,” he said. “For eight years, we attempted to achieve a peaceful settlement.”
Putin recalled Moscow urging the Ukrainian authorities to talk with southeastern Ukraine, where Russians live, and were repeatedly assured that agreements would be implemented.
The President said despite the Minsk Agreements, Russia’s foes openly admitted in recent months that the pact was intended to provide time for Kyiv to rearm and launch warfare.
Noting that they made a mistake by revealing their objective publicly, Putin accused some countries of joining NATO “in the hope of securing their share of the benefits.”
On the negotiation moves by Ukraine and some European capitals, Putin expressed Moscow’s receptive disposition but stressed that discussions must factor in Russia’s “long-term” interests.
”There is only one piece of advice we can offer our adversaries: do not fight Russia. Never attempt to do so,” he warned. “Those (talks) must be genuine negotiations, not ultimatums.”
Grammy-winning singer Ariana Grande has criticised the White House for using her hit song Bye in a social media video promoting immigration arrests, demanding that her music not be associated with what she described as “barbaric, inhumane, heinous nonsense.”
The controversy erupted after the White House recently shared a video on its social media platforms showing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers arresting individuals identified as alleged illegal migrants. The footage featured scenes of handcuffing, detainee transportation and processing at detention centres, accompanied by a soundbite from Grande’s song Bye and the caption: “Bye-bye… President Trump has delivered the most secure border in history.”
Responding in the video’s comment section, Grande wrote, “Please do not use my music in relation to this barbaric, inhumane, heinous nonsense.” The comment was later removed, but her objection quickly drew public attention.
The White House, however, rejected the singer’s criticism. Spokesperson Abigail Jackson defended the administration’s immigration policies, saying, “What’s actually barbaric, inhumane, and heinous are the criminal illegal aliens who have injured and murdered innocent American citizens.”
Following Arianna Grande’s objection, the White House muted the video’s audio, although the clip remained online.
Arianna Grande joins a growing number of artistes who have publicly opposed the Trump administration’s use of their music. In 2025, Sabrina Carpenter asked the White House to exclude her work from what she called the president’s “inhumane” agenda. Music acts including ABBA, Céline Dion and Beyoncé have also previously raised similar concerns.
The singer has been a vocal critic of the administration in the past. Last year, she questioned Trump supporters online, asking whether the president’s policies had improved their daily lives.
The UK government Tuesday blocked US rapper Kanye West from visiting to headline a music festival amid a backlash over his past antisemitic outbursts, according to the BBC.
The rapper submitted an application to travel to Britain on Monday, but it was refused on the grounds that his presence would not be conducive to the public good, the broadcaster cited the Home Office as saying.
