US undermines global stability: Putin

Russian President Vladimir Putin has accused the United States of undermining the global stability by trying to impose its will on other countries.

In a speech to a group of political scholars known as the Valdai Club in Russia’s Black Sea resort of Sochi on Friday, Putin said Washington’s policy has made the world a more dangerous place.

He also criticized Washington’s interference in the internal affairs of other countries, calling for talks on internationally acceptable conditions for the use of force.

Putin also dismissed as a mistake sanctions imposed by the United States and the European Union on Moscow over its alleged involvement in the Ukrainian crisis.

“Russia will not be posturing, get offended, ask someone for anything. Russia is self-sufficient,” he said.

Putin further noted that Russia did not initiate the ongoing tensions between Moscow and the West.

The “so-called Cold War victors” want to redraw the entire world exclusively for themselves, the Russian president stated.

Tensions between Russia and the West heightened after Ukraine’s Black Sea peninsula of Crimea joined the Russian Federation following a referendum in March.

Relations were strained further after Ukraine launched military operations in mid-April to silence pro-Russia protests in the country’s mainly Russian speaking regions in the east.

The United States and the European Union accuse Russia of destabilizing Ukraine and have slapped a number of sanctions against Russian and pro-Russia figures. Moscow, however, rejects the accusation.

MP/HSN/SS