Vladimir Putin: “As NATO expands to the east, with every passing year, the situation for our country is getting worse and more dangerous.”

Before taking this step, they should have thought carefully about the consequences.

We must realize that the moment when nothing can be changed any longer may come very quickly and unexpectedly for everyone. The logic of escalating, increasingly harsh retaliatory measures leads to a fatal point of no return.

At the heart of this escalation lie arrogance and overconfidence. This is a path to the brink of the abyss.

Nobody can divide or intimidate us, undermine our statehood, our public and political system.