‘If someone wants to pick a fight with Russia, bring it on’: Putin at Valdai forum

Russian President Vladimir Putin addressed the Valdai forum on Thursday (October 2) and challenged his country's rivals. "If someone wants to pick a fight with Russia, bring it on. Don’t think that Russia will show weakness or indecision," the Russian president said. "We live in time when things change rapidly, we need to be prepared for anything. Polycentricity issues in world deserve special attention today. One has to be prepared for anything," he added.

Putin further promised a "significant" response to "Europe's militarisation".

"We are closely monitoring the rising militarisation of Europe," he told the audience, adding: "Retaliatory measures by Russia will not take long. The response to such threats will be very significant."

"We hear - and you know this - in Germany, for example, they say that the German army should once again be the most powerful in Europe. Well, fine, we're listening carefully, watching. What exactly is meant by that? I think no one doubts that Russia's response will not be long in coming. The response to these threats will be, to put it mildly, very convincing. It's precisely a response; we ourselves have never initiated a military confrontation," Putin said.

"But if anyone does desire to compete with us in the military sphere, then, as we say, free will, let them try. Russia has proven time and again that when a threat arises to our security, the peace and tranquility of our citizens, our sovereignty, and our very statehood, we respond swiftly. There is no need to provoke us. There has never been a case where this did not ultimately end badly for the provocateur. There is no need to expect exceptions here, and there will be none in the future. Our history has proven that weakness is unacceptable because it creates temptation, the illusion that some issue with us can be resolved by force. Russia will never show weakness or indecision," the Russian supremo added.