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Russian President Vladimir Putin's address to the Federal Assembly

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West continues to 'inflame' post-Soviet states, seeking to 'finish off' Russia — Putin

"They have been pardoning international terrorists and pitting them against us, provoking regional conflicts along the perimeter of our borders, ignoring our interests and using means of economic restraint and pressure," the president said

© Sergei Savostyanov/TASS

MOSCOW, February 21. /TASS/. The West has been provoking conflicts in the post-Soviet space and has never ceased in its attempts to finally "finish off" Russia, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday.

"For all the years since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the West never stopped trying to inflame post-Soviet states and, what is most important, ultimately finish off Russia as the biggest remaining part of our historic land. They have been pardoning international terrorists and pitting them against us, provoking regional conflicts along the perimeter of our borders, ignoring our interests and using means of economic restraint and pressure," he said in his State of the Nation Address.

According to the Russian president, the operation of strategic enterprises and hence the socio-economic situation in many regions depend on large businesses. "And this means that the situation where the managers and owners of such businesses find themselves dependent on governments which are pursuing an unfriendly policy toward Russia is a big threat for our country and we cannot tolerate such a state of affairs," he said.

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Foreign policy Vladimir Putin

Russian President Vladimir Putin's address to the Federal Assembly

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Appeal for Western troops posted on Ukrainian president’s website

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Putin signs decree setting Russia’s development goals for 2030

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