Russia will never bow to US pressure: Putin

President Vladimir Putin has said that Russia would never bow to pressure from the United States or any other country and cautioned that the response to any strikes deep into Russia would be very serious.

US sanctions are an "unfriendly" act and "will have certain consequences, but they will not significantly affect our economic well-being," Putin said on Thursday.

Russia's energy sector feels confident, he said.

"This is, of course, an attempt to put pressure on Russia," Putin said.

"But no self-respecting country and no self-respecting people ever decide anything under pressure."

The United States on Wednesday hit Russia's two biggest oil producers, Rosneft and Lukoil, with sanctions, the first against Russia since US President Donald Trump returned to office.

Putin said breaking the balance in the global energy markets could lead to a hike in prices that would be uncomfortable for countries such as the United States, especially given the internal political calendar in the United States.

Asked about a Wall Street Journal report that the Trump administration has lifted a key restriction on Ukraine's use of some long-range missiles provided by Western allies and remarks by Ukrainian President Zelenskyy about domestic missiles with a range of 3,000 km, Putin said:

"This is an attempt at escalation."

"Dialogue is always better than confrontation or any disputes, and especially war. We have always supported the continuation of dialogue," Putin said.

But if Russia were attacked with US Tomahawk missiles, which Ukraine seeks, the response would be "very strong, if not overwhelming," he added.