Putin warned the West against crossing "red lines", stressing that any provocation would face a harsh response.
"The red line is Russia's national interests .. Russia's red lines are related to its national interests, they are also certainly related to bilateral relations with other nations, including Ukraine, and relations with different international alliances," Peskov told reporters.
On Diplomatic Row With Prague
The Kremlin has an extremely negative attitude to the hysteria around Russian embassy staffers expulsion from the Czech Republic, Peskov said on Thursday.
"Our diplomats are working there. We certainly have an extremely negative attitude to all this hysteria. This is the only thing that I can say. Let us give diplomats a chance to formulate our viewpoint," the spokesman told reporters.
On Unauthorised Protests in Russia
Moscow sees no reason to anyhow assess the April 21 unauthorised rallies across Russia, Peskov said.
"We see no reason for us to make an assessment, this is rather a topic for assessment by law enforcement agencies and interior affairs bodies. I do not know if the rallies were held legally anywhere, they are more likely to be illegal, as they were not authorized. As for the rest, this is the interior affairs bodies' business. Of course, the presidential address to the Federal Assembly [the Russian parliament] was the most important event yesterday," Peskov told reporters.
On Russia-Belarus Integration
The Kremlin believes that integration between Russia and Belarus is not linked with cooperation between the two countries against external threats, Peskov also said.
"I don’t think these are some kind of interrelated things. Integration processes within the union state are one thing, external threats and incessant attempts to interfere in the internal affairs of our two countries are a completely different reality," the spokesman told reporters.
On Putin's Reaction to Zelensky's Proposal to Meet in Donbass
Russian President Vladimir Putin has been briefed about Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s idea to meet in Donbass, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
Earlier this week, Zelenskyy offered to meet with the Russian leader "anywhere in Ukraine's Donbas where there is war."
"Yes, the president has been briefed. If the president deems it necessary, he will answer himself. I have nothing to say now," Peskov told reporters.
On Putin's Concept of Conflict-Free Environment
Russian President Vladimir Putin's concept of a conflict-free environment could be discussed at a summit of the nuclear powers, the Kremlin spokesman said.
In his annual address to the Russian parliament, Putin said Russia invites the global community to discuss strategic stability and create an "environment of conflict-free existence."
"The president has once again pointed to the relevance of this initiative, to the special responsibility of the nuclear powers, and to the relevance of the initiative to hold a summit .... He earlier said that the potential summit [of permanent member states of the United Nations Security Council] could aim at least formulating the threats that we face and the key approaches that we should use when responding to the challenges," Peskov said.
