Published April 21, 2021 6:43 am EDT
Updated Wed, April 21, 2021 7:57 am EDT
- Moscow will respond “harshly,” “quickly,” and “asymmetrically” to foreign provocations, Putin told an audience of top Russian officials and lawmakers.
- He added that he “hoped” that no foreign actor would cross Russia’s “red lines”, according to a Reuters translation.
Russian President Vladimir Putin will attend the expanded boards of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Moscow, Russia, on February 26, 2020.
Mikhail Svetlov | Getty Images
Russian President Vladimir Putin warned in his annual State of the Nation speech Wednesday against provoking his country and promised swift retaliation against anyone who crossed the “red lines.”
Moscow will respond “harshly,” “quickly” and “asymmetrically” to foreign provocations, Putin told an audience of top Russian officials and lawmakers, adding that he “hoped” no foreign actor would cross Russia’s “red lines” , said a Reuters. translation.
Putin also praised the country’s planned investment in comprehensive military education, hypersonic weapons and intercontinental ballistic missiles. But he also stressed that Russia wants peace and arms control deals.
The 68-year-old leader condemned what he described as the constant tendency of international actors to blame Russia for misconduct, saying it had become like a sport.
The comments came in the last half hour of the 90-minute speech, which focused primarily on Russia’s fight against the coronavirus pandemic and domestic economic and social issues.
The speech took place against a backdrop of mounting tensions with the US and the EU, and follows the recent sanctions imposed by the Biden administration on Russia over alleged cyber attacks, human rights violations and a Russian military build-up along the border with Ukraine.