Vladimir Putin and the "red lines for Sherkhan"

The message of the President of the Russian Federation to the Federal Assembly somehow divided the time of his work in the highest state posts, including four years of premiership, into two unequal and unequal parts. Seven years with Crimea and Sevastopol in Russia were not only difficult, but also successful, the correspondent of The Moscow Post reports.

What is the success? Russia has three reliable vaccines for coronavirus. This is a direct embodiment of the growing scientific and technological potential of the country, the ability to mega-organize in emergency situations.

For Russians, success consists in the belief that for the stable development of the country and the well-being of citizens of the Russian Federation, peace and security and defense capabilities are ensured, both at the global and regional levels.

During these seven years, the Ukrainian attack was revealed, Russia returned Crimea, amendments to the Constitution were adopted, the government was headed by Mikhail Mishustin, a strategic partnership with Beijing was built. Russia became the center of the anti-terrorist operation in Syria, acted as a peacemaker in the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Moscow kept Kiev nationalists from large-scale force actions in the Donbass. Minsk agreements are a recognized international document. The Norman Format also retained its role. Moscow, Berlin and Paris managed to keep both tripartite and bilateral ties and projects such as Nord Stream-2 afloat.

For the first time in history, in relations with the collective West, the country can be sure of its security. Vladimir Putin and his team understand that "they know this in the West," they realize the meaning of words, they will be forced to live and reckon with it.

In this regard, the "special responsibility" of the countries of the nuclear five was noted, once again a proposal was made to hold a personal meeting of the heads of state of the permanent members of the UN Security Council.

Modern problems are in the numerous nodes of tension caused on the western borders of Russia by the militaristic hysteria of the Kiev authorities, the large-scale NATO exercises "Defender of Europe - 21," indefatigable provocations with the "Berlin Patient," as well as all other "patients" in Kiev, Prague, Tallinn. In particular, the security forces of the Russian Federation and Belarus stopped the attempted coup in Belarus. These problems also defined the foreign policy background for Vladimir Putin's Address.

In a sense, the military events of the Russian Armed Forces were a continuation of foreign policy efforts to establish a dialogue and not without reason!

The Russian military department says that within the framework of the exercises "Defender of Europe-21" in Poland and the Baltic countries, groups of American troops are strengthening. The United States already keeps about 60 thousand troops in Europe on an ongoing basis, of which about 30 thousand in the ground forces. The alliance conducts up to 40 major operational training events each year. The "30" plan was adopted and implemented: namely, the creation of 30 motorized infantry battalions, 30 aviation squadrons, and the training of 30 warships ready to go to sea within 30 days. Compared to 2020, the intensity of air reconnaissance has doubled and the sea one and a half times.

In these conditions, Russia intends to protect not only its security, but also the population of the self-proclaimed republics of Donbass. If it were not for the provocations from Zelensky on the contact line, the Russian Armed Forces would hardly have had the opportunity to arrange an "international review." According to Sergei Shoigu, two armies and three formations of paratroopers were transferred to the western borders of the country. The number of Russian troops at the borders of Ukraine exceeded 120 thousand soldiers and officers. The minister said: this is a response to the NATO alliance, which in Eastern Europe concentrated 40 thousand troops and 15 thousand weapons.

In this context, the redeployment of significant forces and assets of the Russian Armed Forces has become a necessary security measure. The Russian army has demonstrated an unprecedented level of mobility, the ability to move its resources over long distances in a short time. There is also clear confidence in Russia's ability to defend its interests in relations with NATO, to maintain its armed forces at a high level of combat readiness, mobility, and equipment.

The threats of the collective West to the interests of Russia and the Allies are not exhausted by military maneuvers and the destabilization of Ukraine. Security forces of the Russian Federation and Belarus have shown the ability to counteract an attempt to organize a coup in Belarus with a threat to the life of Alexander Lukashenko.

According to the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation, on April 17, the FSB and the KGB of the Republic of Belarus conducted a special operation to suppress the coup in Belarus in the spirit of "color revolutions" with the involvement of local and Ukrainian nationalists. According to information received from Belarusian partners, in private chats of one of the Internet messengers, the ideologues of the Belarusian radical opposition Zyankovich Yu. and Feduta A. discussed with the opposition generals of the Armed Forces of the Republic a plan for an armed rebellion.

Upon arrival in Moscow, Mr. Ziankovich, who has dual citizenship of the United States and the Republic of Belarus, held a conspiratorial meeting, during which the conspirators told the "Belarusian generals" that the physical elimination of the top leadership of the republic was necessary to implement the plan.

They outlined a plan for a military coup, including the seizure of radio and television centers, the blocking in Minsk of units of internal troops and riot police, and the disconnection of the energy system of Belarus. It was assumed that the active phase will begin formations located on "hidden bases."

The task of the coup, scheduled for May 9, would be to change the constitutional order with the abolition of the presidency and entrust the leadership of the country to the "National Reconciliation Committee." The conspirators were detained by Russian security agencies and handed over to Belarusian partners. The FSB of Russia reported that Mr. Zyankovich arrived in Moscow after consultations in the United States and Poland

In his Address, Vladimir Putin noted that "even such egregious actions do not find condemnation of the so-called collective West," which, as it were, does not notice this. "I repeat," said Vladimir Putin, "you can treat the same Yanukovych, who was also almost killed and removed from power with the help of an armed coup. You can have any point of view about the policy of President of Belarus Lukashenko Alexander Grigorievich. But the practice of organizing state revolutions, plans for political killings, including top officials, is already too much, all the borders have already crossed. "

"Unfriendly actions against Russia also do not stop," said Vladimir Putin. The custom for any reason and without any reason to cling to Russia - who will say something louder - has become a new sport. Under these conditions, Russia behaves extremely restrained, we can say modestly, often does not respond at all not only to unfriendly actions, but also to frank rudeness, striving to have good relations with all participants in international communication.

But this is already the sphere of activity of Russian diplomacy, which "undiplomatically" recorded the United States as an "opponent of Russia." With this step, adopting the practice of Washington and Brussels strategists on duty to register Russia, as well as China, as opponents of NATO. US President Joe Biden, as a veteran of the legislature and co-author of foreign policy actions, should be surprised. So no one has called his country lately. And from the mouth of the supervising deputy minister Sergei Ryabkov, the word "enemy" sounded more than weighty.

But Russia "has enough patience, responsibility, professionalism, self-confidence and its correctness and common sense in making any decision," said Vladimir Putin. He repeated that despite the "harassment of Sherkhan's pack," Russia really intends to "have good relations with all participants in international communication, including, by the way, and with those with whom we, to put it mildly, have not developed relations recently."

He said, but warned: "If someone perceives our good intentions as indifference or weakness and intends to completely burn or even blow up these bridges, he must know that Russia's response will be asymmetric, fast and tough."

The hope was also expressed that "it would not occur to anyone to cross the so-called red line in relation to Russia," which in each particular case would be determined by the Russian leadership on its own.

"The organizers of any provocations that threaten the fundamental interests of our security will regret what they have done in a way that they have not regretted anything for a long time," the President concluded the foreign policy part of his message.

These remarks are worth interpreting as a confirmation of the Kremlin's growing confidence in the ability to withstand any external challenges. Moreover, this was followed by a summary by Vladimir Putin of achievements in modern weapons and equipment, including the nuclear triad.