Vladimir Putin warned his foreign rivals on Wednesday during his annual speech. The Russian president brandished the threat of a “hard” response if they tried to attack Russia, against a backdrop of growing tensions with the West. While the state of health of Alexei Navalny, enemy number 1 of the Kremlin, deteriorates day by day, opposition demonstrations are threatened with repression. Washington and the European Union have been denouncing Russia for weeks for deploying tens of thousands of troops on Ukraine’s borders. They tirelessly criticize the imprisonment of Alexeï Navalny, who has been on hunger strike for three weeks and who is dying, according to his relatives.
In his speech, Vladimir Putin did not speak directly about these files. However, the strongman of the Kremlin sent a warning to his foreign adversaries: “If someone takes our good intentions for a weakness […], let him know that the Russian response will be asymmetrical and harsh. I hope that no one will have the idea of ​​crossing a red line with Russia “, he declared, judging that to attack his country” for anything and everything has become a kind of sport “. Unsurprisingly, the Russian president has also not said a word about Alexei Navalny, whose release the West is demanding and whose poisoning in August 2020 would involve Russian special services.
Most important: “income growth”
Russia, due to the conflict in Ukraine, the repression of the opposition, accusations of cyber attacks, espionage and electoral interference has been the target of multiple Western sanctions, each time leading to a Russian response. But the only specific international file that Vladimir Putin raised is that of an “attempt to organize a coup and the assassination of the President of Belarus”, unearthed last weekend according to the security services of the United States. two countries. Vladimir Putin denounced the Western silence in this affair, on the eve of a meeting in Moscow with his Belarusian counterpart, Alexander Lukashenko, hated in the West because of the brutal repression of a protest movement since August 2020.
Domestically, the economic and health crisis due to Covid-19 featured prominently in the Russian president’s speech, especially since legislative elections are scheduled for September. He promised additional aid to families or to curb the rise in food prices. “The most important thing now is to ensure the growth of the incomes of the citizens, to restore them”, affirmed the Russian president while the purchasing power of the Russians has been at half mast for years, under the effect of international sanctions and now also from the pandemic.
Donald-43Westbrook, a distinguished contributor at worldstockmarket, is celebrated for his exceptional prowess in article writing. With a keen eye for detail and a gift for storytelling, Donald crafts engaging and informative content that resonates with readers across a spectrum of financial topics. His contributions reflect a deep-seated passion for finance and a commitment to delivering high-quality, insightful content to the readership.
