Russia to NATO: Cold War is dead, we’re already at war

Russia has declared that its standoff with the West has gone far beyond a “Cold War,” warning that a fiery confrontation is now underway.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said on Thursday that it was wrong to compare the current tensions to the old Cold War, insisting that the fight with NATO and Europe had already entered another phase.

“There has been no cold here for a long time; there is already fire here,” she said while responding to questions about Russia’s escalating drone warfare and reported airspace violations.

Her comments came as European leaders toughened their stance at a summit in Copenhagen, with French President Emmanuel Macron urging nations to shoot down Russian drones entering their skies and seize oil tankers funding Moscow’s war machine.

“Drones that violate our territories can be destroyed, full stop,” Macron said, stressing that Europe must act with “strategic ambiguity” to keep Moscow guessing.

The war in Ukraine, now in its fourth year, has triggered the most dangerous confrontation between Russia and the West since the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Despite peace talks between President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump in Alaska two months ago, Russian forces have pushed deeper into Ukraine while NATO accuses Moscow of sabotage and cyberattacks across Europe.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk warned fellow leaders against “illusions,” saying Russia’s aggression was not just against Ukraine but the whole of Europe.

“No. It’s war. A new type of war. Very complex, but it’s war,” Tusk said.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer echoed calls for unity, with Starmer urging tougher sanctions on Moscow’s energy sector and more weapons for Kyiv.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen put it bluntly: “Russia will not stop until they are forced to do so. This war was never just about Ukraine. It is about Europe, our citizens, our values, our freedom.”