Putin vowed ‘asymmetric’ and ‘harsh’ response: what’s behind the warning to the West

Nail “asymmetric, fast and hard” response promised the Russian president Vladimir Poutine If the West crosses the “red lines” of Russia.

“We want good relations (…) and we really don’t want to burn bridges,” he said. Putin in his annual speech to Federal Assembly– But if someone confuses our good intentions with indifference or weakness and intends to burn or even blow up these bridges, he must know that Russia’s response will be asymmetric, swift and tough. “And he added that” yesThey will regret their actions more than they have in a long time.“.

The Russian president did not specify what it was about red lines, but Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said they were linked to national and economic interests, the external and internal security to avoid external interference (as in elections and others internal political processes) and offensive speeches against the country.

Putin also accused the West of organizing a “Coup attempt“against Belarusian Aleksandr Lukashenko.

Putin against all: he called not to “cross the red line” with Russia and promised an “immediate” and “energetic” response

Statements occur in the context of a increasing tension with United States -Only a month ago, the President Joe Biden He suggested that he considered that Putin he was a murderer, and Europe, on several fronts.

One of the main crosses between Russia Yes Where is this is Ukraine: in the last days, Russian and Ukrainian troops began to make military exercises near the border between the two countries. Russia also done military exercises at Crimea prepare for a threatening behavior of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), as justified Kremlin. United States I sent two warships to the Black Sea, Russia considered this an “unfriendly act” and, in response, moved 15 ships from the Caspian Sea.

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Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dmytro kuleba, I estimated that in the next few days there will be 120,000 Russian soldiers near the border to the northeast, east and south. The Head of Foreign Affairs of the European Union, Josep borrell, calculation that Russia has already mobilized some 150,000 troops in which he defined as the highest concentration recorded in this region.

Worried, last week presidente ucraniano Volodmir Zelenski, traveled to France to seek support from Emmanuel Macron and the German Chancellor Angela Merkel. But although the leaders have declared that they support “the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine“, for the moment we do not expect that Europe issue a sanction against Russia.

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The Administrative Biden, on the other hand, last week he published a series of sanctions –the ban on US financial institutions from participating in the primary Russian ruble bond market, the blacklist of 32 entities and individuals and the expulsion of 10 Russian diplomats– for the situation in Crimea, the SolarWinds hacking and the interference in the 2020 elections, which Russia denies. This week, U.S. Ambassador to Russia John Sullivan visited Washington amid growing diplomatic tensions between the two countries.

The annexation of Crimea in 2014, not only bailed out tensions between Moscow and Kiev, but also internal conflicts in eastern Ukraine with pro-Russian separatists. In just over seven years, Kiev estimates that around 14,000 people have been killed in the fighting.

Biden called Putin a murderer and said he would soon pay for his actions

Another point that confronts Russia and the West is the situation of the adversary Alexei Navalny; so many United States as the Unin Europea they held the Kremlin for his poisoning and they introduced sanctions against government officials. After his convalescence in Berlin, Navalny I went back to Russia, where he was imprisoned.

The opponent has been in hunger-strike and worries about their health. Navalny was transferred to a prison hospital but his lawyers say does not receive necessary medical care and your personal physician has been denied access. So many United Statesis like the Unin Europea warned Russia that it would be responsible if Navalny dies in prison.

Today, Russian police arrested around 200 demonstrators protesting in favor of Navalny. Hours earlier, he had arrested his spokesperson, Kira Yarmysh, and a collaborator, Lyubov Sobol.