Putin claims Russia will 'finish off' Ukraine in chilling comment

Russian President Vladimir Putin has taunted the United Kingdom and made a chilling statement about Ukraine, suggesting that Russia is on the verge of ending the war.

Speaking from an Arctic naval base on March 27, the 72-year-old leader stood aboard a newly launched nuclear-powered submarine, exuding confidence about Russia’s military capabilities.

“Not long ago, I said we’d grind [Ukraine] down—now it looks like we’ll finish them off,” Putin declared.

His comments come as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy remains steadfast in his belief that Putin’s hold on power is weakening. However, the Russian leader seemed unfazed, even taking a moment to mock the UK’s military and economic standing.

“[Britain] is jumping on us, behaving aggressively… but their economy is, I think, in the ninth or tenth place in the world. Hence the armed forces—what is it, 170,000 or 180,000? That’s all the armed forces of the UK!” he remarked, .

In reality, the UK ranks sixth globally in Gross Domestic Product (GDP), while Russia sits in 11th place, likely impacted by Western sanctions imposed after its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. However, Putin’s estimate of the UK’s military size is accurate. According to official figures from January, the UK Armed Forces currently have around 180,780 personnel—dwarfed by Russia’s estimated 1.5 million troops.

Putin’s remarks follow recent diplomatic moves by Western leaders. British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron have pledged to deploy an Anglo-French ‘reassurance force’ to Ukraine once a ceasefire is in place. However, the plan hinges on U.S. involvement, which remains uncertain given recent tensions between Donald Trump, U.S. Senator J.D. Vance, and Zelenskyy.

Meanwhile, Russia and Ukraine have agreed to a naval ceasefire in the Black Sea, brokered separately with the U.S. after peace talks in Saudi Arabia.

Yet, Russia has reportedly ignored Ukraine’s offer of a 30-day total ceasefire and continues to demand concessions, suggesting the war’s end is still far from sight.