Russian President Vladimir Putin has pledged a “significant” response to “Europe’s militarisation” and says the hysteria around his country potentially attacking NATO is “nonsense”.

“They can’t believe what they’re saying, that Russia is going to attack NATO,” he said on Thursday at a foreign policy forum in the southern resort city of Sochi. “They’re either incredibly incompetent if they truly believe it because it’s impossible to believe this nonsense, or they’re simply dishonest.”

Putin expressed frustration over Europe’s military build-up, noting that he is monitoring the trend, and warned that retaliatory measures would be swift.

“In Germany, for example, it is said that the German army should become the strongest in Europe. Very well. We hear that and are watching to see what is m

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