Not just Russia, but the rest of the world too, can be relieved that Russian weaponry has reached such a high-level of development to evade American so-called missile defense systems. President Putin was very careful in his speech to emphasize that his country was not seeking to start a war, or threaten anyone. The Russian arsenal is strictly defensive. But, in an extreme situation, the force that Russia can unleash against a would-be enemy will be invulnerable and superior.

It was critically important that Putin unveiled the new Russian weapon systems at this juncture. It was needed in order to dispel any delusion among American leaders and their allies of prosecuting a preemptive war against Russia, which seems to be their reprehensible inclination. It should be clear even to intellectually challenged Western politicians that Russia's new generation of weapons will inflict devastating consequences. So don't even think about it.

It is clear that Moscow is not trying to intimidate anyone, despite what the Western propagandize about "Russian aggression" and "Soviet revanchism". Following his landslide election victory at the weekend, Putin reiterated Moscow's desire to pursue constructive partnerships with other foreign states.

However, what Russia is up against are some deeply delusional powers who are so filled with arrogance and hubris, and an irrational Russophobia, that it is imperative to have the decisive military power in order to keep these powers in check.

Washington and its uppity imperialist sidekick in London are particularly dangerously deluded. The provocations emanating from those two seem to have no end.

He has the audacity to call Russia's reasonable demands for demonstration of evidence and due legal process as "absurd" and a "haystack of lies". Truly, dealing with such numbskulls must be so tiring.

Simultaneously, the Trump administration unveils new sanctions against Russia's state security services claiming that Russia is carrying out "malicious cyberattacks" on US infrastructure. Again, no evidence is provided. The US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin simply referred to Britain's outlandish claims of a poison-assassination plot as "evidence".

This is merely circular, self-referencing fantasies articulated by politicians who are deluded and ignorant. They are so arrogant, they don't even sense the obligation to provide evidence. Their incorrigibly propagandized brains are programmed to not question, but to follow the script of irrational Russophobia.

READ MORE: WATCH Russian Mig-31 Test-Firing the Hypersonic Missile Putin Announced

In recent days, British and American media have reported their state security services warning of Russian cyberattacks on vital national infrastructure, including electricity grids, nuclear power stations, water delivery systems and aviation networks.

"Cyberattacks Put Russian Fingers on the Switch at Power Plants, US Says," reported the New York Times with reckless sensationalism.

"Forensic analysis suggested [sic] that Russian spies were looking for inroads — although it was not clear whether the goal was to conduct espionage or sabotage, or to trigger an explosion of some kind," claimed the NY Times, without substantiating its far-fetched scaremongering. So much for America's supposedly "finest journalism".

American and British politicians, aided and abetted by shameless media propaganda, have entered into a twilight zone of unreality with regard to Russia.

The non-stop provocative slander against Russia is a sign of political psychosis in Washington and London. Unfortunately, other European states have shown susceptibility to the sickness, as can be seen this week with EU foreign ministers supporting Boris Johnson's accusations against Moscow.

Russia is right to treat the latest slander from Britain over the alleged spy-poisoning case with contempt. It is not Moscow that has a case to answer. It is London that must answer for its absurd, evidence-free allegations. It's not Moscow that needs to abide by international law and norms. It's London.

READ MORE: 'Interesting' Timing of Skripal Scandal 'Close to Russian Elections' — Analyst

Russia should be demanding the British to answer for the de facto detention of one its citizens, Yulia Skripal, who was visiting her father in Salisbury on March 4 when the pair fell ill.

As Maria Zakharova reminded: Who is London to haughtily issue 24-hour deadlines to anyone? A country that has violated countless international laws to destroy the lives of millions of people by waging illegal wars around the planet.

The provocations coming out of Washington and its British bulldog are indeed provocative. There's not much point examining them and dissecting their falsehoods. They will just keep making up more lies and other excuses for slandering Russia.

It's a pretty grim reality, but nonetheless a vital one in this climate of hysteria. The reality being that should the deluded ones in Washington and London push their arrogance too far, they are no match for Russia's ability to defend itself with superior military force.

Russia has no need for bluff or bluster, unlike the Americans and British who are compensating for their own inadequacy and incompetence.

The Americans and British rarely won a war in their history. They are only good for attacking weaker, defenseless countries. Russia, on the other hand, is a bear that only a fool would push. And it was good the Russian bear bared its claws recently. Just to remind the arrogant deluded fools.

Finian Cunningham has written extensively on international affairs, with articles published in several languages. He is a Master’s graduate in Agricultural Chemistry and worked as a scientific editor for the Royal Society of Chemistry, Cambridge, England, before pursuing a career in newspaper journalism. He is also a musician and songwriter. For nearly 20 years, he worked as an editor and writer in major news media organisations, including The Mirror, Irish Times and Independent.

This article was originally published by "Sputnik" -