Russian President Vladimir Putin said at the Valdai Forum in Sochi that Russia will react quickly to provocation from Europe, Reuters reported. At the same time, he stressed that he had no intention of attacking NATO, BTA reports.
"If someone wants to compete with us in the military sphere, let them try", Putin said, adding that Russia's retaliatory actions will not be late. He specifically pointed to Germany's ambition to become the most powerful army in Europe.
"The elites of a united Europe continue to intensify the hysteria. It turns out that war with the Russians is very close. They repeat this nonsense again and again," the Russian leader said. He described as "unimaginable" the possibility of Russia attacking NATO.
Putin blamed Europe for the continuation of the war in Ukraine, pointing to the center created there to supply the Ukrainian army with weapons, intelligence and training. According to him, the root cause of the Ukrainian and other crises is the Western policy after the Cold War, which led to the feeling that no one is safe.
The Russian president expressed gratitude to the BRICS countries and Arab states for their efforts for peace, as well as to his allies North Korea and Belarus.