Russia needs to keep actively guarding its sovereignty to avoid becoming like a chained bear whose captors "will pull out his teeth and claws," President Vladimir Putin said Thursday. Responding to a question at his annual news conference about Russia's annexation of Crimea, Putin drew an analogy with what would happen if "our most recognizable symbol ... the bear who guards his Taiga (forest)" stopped chasing pigs and sat still, "maybe eating berries and honey." The President pondered whether the bear would then be left alone before answering: "They won't leave him alone. They are always trying to put him on a chain. They will always try to put him on a chain and as soon as he is put on this chain, they will pull out his teeth and claws. In today's terms we are speaking about our nuclear deterrence. As soon as, God forbid, this is done, the bear isn't needed anymore."
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Vladimir Putin compares Russia to a bear trying to protect its forest
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Putin says if the bear rests, it will have its teeth and claws pulled out
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At year-end news conference, he said sanctions were behind some of Russia's woes
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Russian President said Moscow was ready to mediate in the Ukraine crisis
In his end-of-year news conference, Putin said there had been "a state coup and a military coup" in @placeholder with which parts of that country had not agreed.