Officials are accusing Russia of smaller-scale assaults. President Vladimir V. Putin sought to turn the tables, saying that if Europe were to start a war, Russia is ready.

The European Union agreed on Wednesday to phase out Russian gas imports by late 2027 as part of an effort to end the bloc's decades-long dependency on Russian energy, though legal challenges from its members already loom.

The European Union has reached a deal to phase out Russian gas faster than originally planned, a move that aims to finally sever ties between the bloc and its once-primary energy supplier.

The European Union agreed Wednesday to phase out Russian natural gas imports by late 2027 as part of an effort to end the bloc’s decade-long dependency on Russian energy.

Dmitry Medvedev, the deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council, said on Thursday that if the European Union takes frozen Russian assets, then it may be considered by Moscow as tantamount to an act justifying war.

European Union lawmakers and member states reached a deal Wednesday to ban all imports of Russian gas by autumn 2027, as the bloc seeks to choke off key funds feeding Moscow's war chest."This is the dawn of a new era,

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz will travel to Brussels Friday, canceling a planned trip to Oslo, for talks with Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

Russia said on Thursday that any "illegal action" by the European Union in relation to its frozen assets would elicit "the harshest reaction", and that Moscow was already preparing its response. The E

He said in a statement: "If the crazy European Union does, after all, try to steal Russian assets frozen in Belgium under the guise of a so-called 'reparations loan', Russia may well view this move as tantamount to a casus belli with all the relevant implications for Brussels and individual EU countries.