Russia 'preparing for war' as Putin moves artillery to NATO border

Vladimir Putin is preparing for war with NATO within a year of ending his conflict in Ukraine, a senior Western military intelligence chief has warned. The World War Three threat was highlighted as the Kremlin dictator staged one of the largest military parades in modern Russian history with tanks and nuclear missile carriers thundering across Moscow’s Red Square in a show of strength.

Putin used the annual Victory Day event, today marking the 80th anniversary of the defeat of Hitler, to showcase his latest hi-tech weapons, including killer drones used against Ukraine. Dutch military intelligence chief [MIVD] Vice-Admiral Peter Reesink warned starkly: “Russia is producing much more artillery, also with help from other countries, than they need for the war with Ukraine.”

Putin is not only replenishing depleted stockpiles but moving new artillery units toward NATO borders, including the Baltic countries and Finland, he told Politico.

“That's an indication for us that they are building up capability.”

Putin’s blatant show of strength in Moscow comes as production levels show he could be ready for a major new conflict within a year if the Kremlin maintains its political appetite for combat, he said.

Some Russian experts fear that Putin now depends on a war economy and cannot halt his military dependency.

“The Netherlands, like the rest of NATO countries, is in a phase of an enhanced readiness programme to make sure that we're ready if that occurs,” warned the intelligence chief.

The parade came as Putin is suspected of playing God to order the spiking of clouds with a chemical cocktail - a Soviet technology used to change the weather for major events and stop any rain on his parade.

Antonov-12 and Antonov-26 aircraft are deployed to ‘spike’ clouds with a chemical cocktail of silver iodide, liquid nitrogen, and dry ice, which causes rain to fall outside Moscow but not over Red Square.

“Calculations are being made to create a window of good weather that will come to Red Square during the air parade,” said Yuri Varakin, head of the Roshydromet Situation Centre, ahead of the parade.

“I hope everything will work out.”

Putin's menu for a dinner on the eve of the parade—ostentatiously serving wine from invaded Ukraine, Blanc de Neige, Crimea, 2022—was for President Xi Jinping and other foreign leaders.

As Putin held his parade, Donald Trump increased pressure on the Russians to agree to a peace deal amid suspicions the Kremlin intends to return to full-scale war at the end of its unilateral ceasefire on Saturday night.

The US president demanded a 30-day unconditional ceasefire, which Ukraine, but not Russia, has already agreed to.

“If the ceasefire is not respected, the US and its partners will impose further sanctions,” said Trump. “Thousands of young soldiers are dying on a weekly basis, and everybody should want it to STOP.”

Vice President J.D. Vance attacked Putin for making unrealistic demands.

“We knew that Russia would ask for too much because the Russian perception of war is that they are winning,” he said. “But Russia cannot expect to be given back territory that they have not even conquered yet. And that is one of the things that they included in the original peace plan,” he told Fox News.

Volodymyr Zelensky said he held a “good conversation” with Trump.

“President Trump asked about the situation on the battlefield, and I briefly briefed him,” he said. “I also said that Ukraine is ready for a 30-day ceasefire, starting today. We expect Russia to agree to this proposal. I also confirmed that Ukraine is ready for negotiations in any format. But for this, Russia must show the seriousness of its intentions to end the war, starting with a complete and unconditional ceasefire. President Trump confirmed that he wants to end this war, is ready to help, and supports the need for a ceasefire. We agreed on further contacts.”

A statement from the Chinese Foreign Ministry after Xi’s talks with Putin suggested Russia was ready for peace talks without preconditions.

But it contained the caveat - sympathetic to Moscow - that “the legitimate security interests of all countries must be taken seriously and the root causes of the crisis must be addressed”.

As the Moscow parade was underway, EU foreign ministers gathered in Ukraine to agree to a special war crimes tribunal intended to snare Putin and almost two dozen other Russian leaders.

“There will be no impunity. There will be accountability for the crimes committed,” said Kaja Kallas, the EU’s top diplomat.

Criticising leaders on the podium with Putin in Moscow, she said: “I want to stress that all those who truly support peace cannot stand side-by-side with Putin, who has started this full-scale war of aggression in Ukraine…. Who truly supports peace should be in Ukraine rather than in Moscow.”

The EU also announced a major new aid package for Ukraine.