Vladimir Putin warns West of harsh response if it crosses Russia’s ‘red lines’

President Vladimir Putin has warned the West not to cross Russia’s “red lines”, saying Moscow will respond swiftly and harshly to any provocations and those responsible will regret it.

At a time of acute crisis in ties with the United States and Europe, with Russian troops massed near Ukraine and opposition leader Alexei Navalny on hunger strike in jail, the Kremlin leader used his state of the nation speech on Wednesday to project a message of Russian strength and defiance in the face of outside threats.