Vladimir Putin says past half‑decade was "difficult and exceptionally consequential"

Russian President Vladimir Putin, in remarks released by the country’s Foreign Ministry, looked back on the past half-decade as a tough, pivotal period, saying the nation’s destiny hung in the balance. His speech accused the West of failing with sanctions and of turning to terror tactics after losing on the battlefield, and reiterated his pledge to keep pursuing Moscow’s military campaign in Ukraine. Meanwhile, CBS reports that U.S. intelligence officials see Putin as more willing than before to authorize covert actions—including cyber attacks and hybrid operations—that might affect NATO members, likely to probe allied unity and the Trump administration’s response rather than cause a full-scale war. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte has separately cited Russian airspace incursions and allied intercepts. The combination highlights elevated concern over Russian escalation.