Putin Condemns Coup Attempts in Venezuela, Belarus, Ukraine

During his annual message to the Russian Federal Assembly, President Vladimir Putin recalled and condemned attempts to change governments by force in Belarus, Ukraine, and Venezuela.

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He pointed out that the international community may have different opinions about Ukraine's former President Viktor Yanukovych or Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro. However, "the practice of staging coups, plans for political assassinations, including those of high-ranking officials, exceed all limits."

"Unfortunately, it seems that everyone is already accustomed to the practice of illegal politically motivated economic sanctions and attempts by some to forcibly impose their will on others. Currently, however, these practices are becoming much more dangerous," Putin added and referred to the recent attempt to assassinate the president of Belarus.

The Russian leader recalled that Western countries often fail to strongly condemn such events because "no one seems to notice this. Everyone pretends that nothing is happening at all."

Putin also stressed that Western governments would not seem to be interested in the possible number of victims a coup in Belarus would have produced.

"How many people would have been injured and how would the fate of Belarus unfold? No one thinks about that, just as no one thought about the fate of Ukraine when the coup was carried out there," he stressed.

The Russian leader warned Western powers that his country will reply to acts affecting its interests with an "asymmetric, swift, and harsh" response.

"They will regret it as they have not done for a long time," Putin said, recalling that hostile actions against Russia "have become among some countries a kind of sport."