Your trusted source

The situation around Russia will improve if Moscow does not bend to pressure but becomes stronger, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday at the meeting of the Federal Security Service (FSB) board, TASS reported.

"NATO is developing rapid reaction forces and enhancing its infrastructure near our structures, and attempts are seen to break up the nuclear parity, and the creation of the European and Asian-Pacific segment of antimissile defense is being pushed for," Putin said.

He reminded that "the US unilateral withdrawal from the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty in fact crashed the basis and the foundation of the modern system of international security."

"Principally new weapons systems of prompt global strike and conducting military operations in space are being developed," the president said.

However, Putin said that the attempts to frighten and put pressure on Moscow have failed and will not succeed. "We have always had and will have an adequate response to all the domestic and external threats to national security," he said.

"The situation cannot remain like this forever and it will change and I hope for the better, including around this country," the Russian leader said. He stressed that the situation will change for the better "not because we will constantly make concessions, bend or slobber over someone."

"It will change for the better only in case if we become stronger," Putin said.