Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a sweeping attack on US and European policies, in a fiery address at the Valdai Forum in Sochi, accusing Western leaders of spreading "hysteria" about the threat of war. He said Europe’s ruling elites were stoking panic instead of addressing their own domestic problems, while Nato countries were already effectively fighting Russia in Ukraine, and declared that Moscow’s forces "confidently maintain the strategic initiative."

Putin praised the "rational" approach of the current US administration but mocked US President Donald Trump’s portrayal of Russia as a "paper tiger," asking if Moscow is a tiger holding its ground against Nato, then "what is Nato itself?" insisting that Russia, too, would act strictly in line with its national interests.

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