Russia ready to repel threats: Putin

Russian President Vladimir Putin says Moscow’s armed forces are always ready to repel any threat against the country.

“We should always be ready to repel any aggression towards Russia,” Putin said on Friday.

Putin went on to say that “Russia’s partners… should understand it’s best not to mess with us.”

Western powers and the Kiev government accuse Moscow of having a hand in the crisis in eastern Ukraine, which erupted when Kiev launched military operations in April to silence pro-Russia protests, but the Kremlin denies the accusation.

Referring to allegations of the presence of Russian troops in Ukraine, he said that “Russia is far from being involved in any large-scale conflicts,” and that the United States and the European Union were responsible for the “unconstitutional” removal of former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych and replacing him with a “pro-European government.”

“Small villages and large cities surrounded by the Ukrainian army which is directly hitting residential areas with the aim of destroying the infrastructure,” he added.

Violence intensified in May after the two flashpoint regions of Donetsk and Luhansk held local referendums, in which their residents voted overwhelmingly in favor of independence from Ukraine.

SRK/MHB/MAM