Russia on Thursday warned the U.S. that Moscow had the might to put the United States in its place and accused the West of stoking a wild Russophobic plot to tear Russia apart.

Dmitry Medvedev, who served as president from 2008 to 2012 and now deputy secretary of Russia’s Security Council, said the United States had stoked “disgusting” Russophobia in an attempt to force Russia to its knees.

“It will not work, Russia has the might to put all of our brash enemies in their place,” Mr Medvedev said.

Since Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, the United States and its European and Asian allies have slapped sanctions on Russian leaders, companies and businessmen, cutting off Russia from much of the world economy.

President Vladimir Putin said invading Ukraine was necessary because the United States was using it to threaten Russia and that Russia had to defend the “genocide” of Russian-speaking people by Ukraine.

Ukraine said it was fighting for its existence, describing Mr Putin’s claims of genocide as nonsense. The West also said claims it wanted to rip Russia apart were baseless.

Russia added that in spite of sanctions it could fare well without what it cast as a deceitful and decadent West led by the United States.

It said its bid to forge ties with the West after the 1991 fall of the Soviet Union was now over and that it would develop ties with other powers such as China. 

(Reuters/NAN)