Attempts to intimidate Russia will fail: Putin

Russian President Vladimir Putin warned Thursday that all attempts to intimidate his country will fail and be given an adequate response.

"It is absolutely clear that no one has succeeded and will not succeed in either to intimidate or to press our country," Putin told a meeting of the Federal Security Service board.

He accused Russia's partners of using a wide range of tools to deter the country, from political and economic pressure to the large-scale information war and special operations of secret services.

According to Putin, 52 professional spies and 290 agents of foreign intelligence services were uncovered in Russia last year.

The president also said NATO has been sending its rapid response forces near Russian borders and deploying anti-missile systems in Europe as well as the Asia-Pacific region.

He lambasted the United States for its unilateral withdrawal from the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty which was signed in 1972 and abandoned by Washington in 2002.

The termination of the treaty, Putin said, has led to the collapse of the whole foundation of international security and spilled the arms race to outer space.

Meanwhile, Putin expressed the hope that tensions between Moscow and the West will not persist for long, while stressing that Russia should become stronger in order to defuse tensions.

Earlier in the day, the Defense Ministry confirmed that Russia has successfully completed tests of a new intercontinental ballistic missile RS-26 which will be put into service soon. Endi