In a patriotic address on Security Agency Workers’ Day, Russian President Vladimir Putin issued a sharp warning against those trying to destabilize Russia. “Of course, we must thwart any attempts by foreign intelligence services to destabilize the social and political situation in Russia, to undermine civil peace and interethnic accord, to interfere in our internal affairs, and to violate the sovereign and unshakable right of the Russian people to determine their own future.”
Also striking a self-confident, independent tone, Russia’s ambassador to Switzerland Sergey Garmonin, told TASS news agency that “Russia will not be represented at the World Economic Forum in Davos, since the organizers didn’t send invitations to the Russians last year and this year.” The Davos meeting will run from Jan. 15-19. “In my opinion, only the forum itself loses from such a decision,” he said. According to Garmonin, Moscow “will continue to solve… problems in other formats and on other platforms.”
