Putin says Russia will never bow to U.S. pressure

President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that Russia will not bow to pressure from the United States or any other country, warning that any strikes deep inside Russian territory would be met with a very serious, possibly overwhelming, response.

He described the UşSş sanctions as an “unfriendly” act that will have consequences but insisted they will not materially damage Russia’s economic wellbeing, adding that the country’s energy sector remains confident.

Putin said attempts to pressure Russia were obvious, and argued that no self-respecting nation or people make decisions under such coercion.

He warned that upsetting the balance of global energy markets could push up prices — a development that would be awkward for countries such as the United States, especially given its domestic political calendar.

Asked about a Wall Street Journal report that the Trump administration had eased a restriction on Ukraine’s use of certain long-range missiles, and about remarks by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on developing 3,000 km domestic missiles, he called it “an attempt at escalation” and said that if such weapons were used against Russian territory the response would be very serious — “let them think about it,” he added.

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