The Kremlin is preparing to launch a campaign against the US and European Union to get them to stop interfering in Russia’s affairs.
But a number of analysts warn that the Kremlin may be willing to use military force if the West starts interfering in its affairs.
In the Kremlin’s view, the West is acting in a hostile way, and that the Russian side is being blackmailed.
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin is meeting with senior US officials, including the National Security Adviser, to discuss Russia’s response to the Trump administration’s sanctions and its response to recent US missile strikes on Syria.
In a statement published on the Kremlin website, the Russian leader warned that the US will be able to claim the initiative to force Russia to give up its sovereignty.
The US, it said, has not been interested in respecting Russian sovereignty, and is trying to undermine the independence of Russia’s state and society.
“It is time to take a strong stand on this issue,” Putin said, in a statement carried by the RIA Novosti news agency.
“If we don’t stop this aggression, the US may resort to using all means available to coerce Russia.”
“If we do not stop this provocation, the Americans will start an aggressive policy of undermining the state of Russia,” he added.
On Tuesday, President Donald Trump said the US would be ready to impose sanctions against Moscow, adding that it would also be ready for military action if Russia’s territorial integrity is threatened.
The White House said Trump’s remarks were in response to a Russian government report that said US military equipment, including missiles, could be used in future military action against Russia.
The report said the Pentagon was considering using military force against Russia in retaliation for Russia’s interference in the 2016 US presidential election.
Russian President Vladimir Vladmir Putin attends a ceremony marking the 100th anniversary of the Red Army in Moscow, Russia, November 22, 2020.
Russia has also accused the US of trying to use its military power against Moscow’s interests.
Earlier this month, the Kremlin released a list of possible targets in Syria, including some cities that had been seized by the Syrian government.
In his statement, Putin also warned against the possibility of a military intervention against Russia, warning that Washington’s aggression will not be limited to Syria.
If it does not stop, we will start a hostile policy of destabilizing the situation in the Middle East, he said.
“We will be ready, if this starts to happen, to use all means to coerciate Russia, including force, by threatening to use them against the Russian Federation.”
Meanwhile, the White House has repeatedly warned that Moscow has no right to interfere in US domestic politics, pointing out that Trump’s campaign promise to ban all Muslim immigration into the United States is not based on a policy.
