Putin warns Russia’s response to Europe’s ‘militarization’ will not be long in coming

Russian President Vladimir Putin warned on Thursday that Russia's response to the "militarization" of Europe would not be long in coming.

"The response to the threats, to put it mildly, seems to be very convincing. That's right, a response. We ourselves have never initiated a military confrontation. It's senseless, unnecessary and simply absurd; it distracts us from the real problems and challenges," Putin said at a plenary session of the Valdai International Discussion Club.

He said Moscow reacts quickly when there is "a threat to security, peace, the tranquility of its citizens, its sovereignty and statehood itself," warning other states not to provoke Russia.

"There's never been a case where it didn't ultimately end badly for the provocateur. There should be no exceptions in the future. There won't be any. Our history has proven: weakness is unacceptable, because it creates the temptation, the illusion, that any issue with us can be resolved by force. Russia will never show weakness or indecision," he added.