Putin warns foreign rivals against ´crossing red line´ with Russia

MOSCOW: President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday warned Russia´s foreign rivals against "crossing the red line" with Moscow, as he gave a state of the nation speech amid deep tensions with the West. Russia´s ties with the West have deteriorated to near Cold War lows, with Moscow and Western capitals at loggerheads over jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, a Russian troop build-up on Ukraine´s borders and a series of espionage scandals. "In some countries, they have started an obscene custom of blaming Russia for anything," Putin told gathered lawmakers and regional governors in a speech broadcast on national television. "It´s some kind of sport -- a new kind of sport." The Russian president added that Moscow wants "good relations" with all members of the international community -- even with those that it does not see eye to eye. "But if someone perceives our good intentions as weakness... let them know that Russia´s response will be asymmetric and harsh," he said.