MOSCOW, June 26. /TASS/. Fake threats allegedly emanating from Russia are needed for the West to wheedle money out of taxpayers, press secretary of the Russian President Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

"You know, this putative threat of Russia, the ephemeral threat, it is a technique used to extort money from their taxpayers, the said notorious 5%. This is the technique used to wheedle money out and continue pumping weapons to Ukraine," Peskov said.

"If any country poses a direct threat to Russia, it needs to be analyzed," the Kremlin spokesman stressed. "There are no reasons for such statements as such," Peskov added.