Putin Warns West Of Crossing Red Line With Asymmetrical, Swift And Harsh Response

By Donald Standeford, Correspondent
Date Published: 2021-04-22 12:30PM UTC
Last Modified: 2021-05-03 11:22PM PST

MOSCOW - In his annual state of the union address, Putin talks about the habit of 'some countries' who seemingly have a habit of 'picking on Russia' for no reason at all, and warns the west of an 'asymmetrical', 'swift' and 'Harsh' response if the West crosses a 'red line' predetermined by the Kremlin.

During a time when Russia's ties with the west and Europe are weakening, and threats of action from the west if something were to happen to Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who had been on the cusp of death due to a hunger strike while he was in a Russian prison, Putin's address to Russia was a message of strength and resolve.

In his address Putin fired at western countries, stating that they are attempting to 'impose their will on others by force', and said, "We want good relations...and really don't want to burn bridges, but if someone mistakes our good intentions for indifference or weakness and intends to burn down or even blow up these bridges, they should know that Russia's response will be asymmetrical, swift and harsh."

Neither Navalny, nor the West's threats of action if Navalny does not survive were mentioned in Putin's address, but the opposition leader had been quickly whisked away to a prison hospital as his health continued to deteriorate. The Federal Penitentiary Service declared that his health is "satisfactory", though many believe this is not the case.