Vladimir Putin Puts Donald Trump and NATO on Notice

On January 15, 2026 (Thursday), Russian President Vladimir Putin addressed 32 newly appointed foreign ambassadors during a formal credentials presentation ceremony in the Alexander Hall of the Grand Kremlin Palace in Moscow. This was his first major foreign policy speech of the year and it was a direct message to President Trump and the NATO countries, but Putin did so without calling either out by name.

Putin put on a master class in diplomacy and made three critical points:

1. Criticized those countries relying on the might-makes-right principle to assert their unilateral narratives, which was a barb directed at Donald Trump.

2. Reiterated the importance of respect for international law and lamented the West ignoring Russia’s legitimate interests and a deliberate policy of creating threats to our security, including the advancement of the NATO bloc towards Russia’s borders – contrary to the public promises made to us. I want to emphasise this: contrary to the public promises made to us.

3. Reaffirmed Russia’s support for Cuba’s sovereignty and independence.

Here is the salient parts of Putin’s remarks to the 32 new Ambassadors to Russia:

There is a reason why people say that peace does not come by itself. It must be built, day-by-day, and it is a painstaking process. Achieving peace requires effort, a sense of responsibility and the ability to make deliberate choices. This posture is especially relevant today considering the increasingly deteriorating international environment. I think that no one would claim otherwise. Old conflicts are escalating, while new serious hotbeds of tension emerge.

At the same time, unilateral and dangerous actions often substitute diplomacy, efforts to come to a compromise or find solutions which would suit everyone. Instead of having states engage in dialogue with one another, there are those relying on the might-makes-right principle to assert their unilateral narratives, those who believe that they can impose their will, lecture others how they must live and issue orders.

Dozens of countries across the world have been suffering from the infringement of their sovereign rights, from chaos and lawlessness. They lack the strength and resources to stand up for themselves.

Placing a greater emphasis on having all members of the international community respect international law, as well as facilitating the advent of new emerging trends and a fair multipolar world order can be viewed as a reasonable solution. In this world order, all states would have the right to follow their own development models and to define their future independently, without outside interference, while preserving their unique culture and traditions.

I would like to note that Russia is sincerely committed to the ideals of a multipolar world. Our country has always pursued and will continue to pursue a balanced, constructive foreign policy course that takes into account both our national interests and the objective trends of global development.

We are determined to maintain truly open and mutually advantageous relations with all partners interested in cooperation, deepening ties in politics, the economy and culture, and jointly confronting acute challenges and common threats.

Russia advocates for strengthening the key, central role of the United Nations in global affairs, the organisation that celebrated its anniversary last year.

Eight decades ago, our fathers, grandfathers, and great-grandfathers, having emerged victorious in the Second World War, were able to unite, find a balance of interests, and agree on the fundamental rules and principles of international communication, enshrining them in their entirety, completeness, and interconnectedness in the UN Charter.

The imperatives of this foundational document, such as equality, respect for sovereignty, non-interference in internal affairs, and the resolution of disputes through dialogue, are now more relevant than ever. Most importantly, we must proceed from the understanding that security must be truly comprehensive and, therefore, equal and indivisible, and it cannot be ensured for some at the expense of the security of others. This principle is enshrined in fundamental international legal instruments.

Disregarding this basic, vital principle has never led to anything good and never will. This has been clearly demonstrated by the crisis around Ukraine, which became a direct consequence of years of ignoring Russia’s legitimate interests and a deliberate policy of creating threats to our security, including the advancement of the NATO bloc towards Russia’s borders – contrary to the public promises made to us. I want to emphasise this: contrary to the public promises made to us.

Let me remind you that Russia has repeatedly put forward initiatives to build a new, reliable, and fair architecture of European and global security. We have proposed options and rational solutions that could satisfy everyone in America, Europe, Asia, and across the world.

We believe it would be worthwhile to return to a substantive discussion of these proposals to establish the conditions under which a peaceful settlement of the conflict in Ukraine could be achieved – and the sooner, the better.

It is precisely a long-term and sustainable peace, one that reliably ensures the security of all and everyone, that our country strives for. Not everywhere, including in Kiev and the capitals that support it, are they ready for this. But we hope that an awareness of this necessity will come sooner or later. Until then, Russia will continue to consistently pursue its objectives.

At the same time, I would like to reiterate and ask you to bear in mind in your activities that Russia is always open to building equal and constructive relations with all international partners for the sake of universal prosperity, well-being, and development. . . .

I would like to emphasise that Russia and the Republic of Cuba enjoy genuinely strong and friendly relations. We have consistently provided assistance and support to our Cuban friends. Russia stands in solidarity with Cuba’s firm determination to defend its sovereignty and independence.

The Russian-Cuban alliance has withstood the test of time and is rooted in the sincere mutual goodwill of our peoples. Together, we are implementing projects of critical importance to the Cuban economy in areas such as energy, metallurgy, transport infrastructure, and healthcare, while also expanding cultural and humanitarian exchanges.

Ray McGovern and I debated the importance of Putin’s address to the ambassadors during today’s Intelligence Roundtable with Judge Napolitano. I agree with Alexander Mercouris’s view that Putin’s remarks represent a significant shift in how Russia will proceed with regards to a diplomatic solution to the war in Ukraine… Although Putin did not explicitly say that pushing NATO back to its 1991 limits, he was emphatic that the expansion of NATO towards Russia’s borders was a betrayal of promise the West had made to Russia. This is the root cause of the current conflict with Ukraine and must be addressed by the NATO countries before there can be peace with Ukraine and, by extension, with NATO. Ray had a different take… We had, as friends sometime do, a polite disagreement.

In addition to my conversation with Ray and the Judge, I chatted on Thursday with Clayton and Natalie Morris on their channel, Redacted: