Russia says America must respect its interests in international affairs
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PRESIDENT Vladimir Putin sternly urged the West to respect Russia’s interests in global affairs and defended his move to sanction the delivery of a long-range air defense missile system to Iran during a marathon TV call-in show with the nation yesterday.
Putin scathingly criticized Washington for refusing to see Moscow as an equal partner and warned that Russia-West ties, in shambles over the Ukrainian crisis, could only be normalized when the United States and its allies show readiness for compromise.
He also described the killing of top Kremlin critic Boris Nemtsov as “tragic and shameful” and said he wasn’t certain if Russian law-enforcement agencies would be able to track down those who organized it.
The president focused heavily on economic issues during the show, an hours-long annual affair.
He said the nation’s economic performance has remained strong, despite Western sanctions slapped on Russia over the Ukrainian crisis and a slump in global oil prices. He pointed at the ruble’s recovery as a sign of a renewed investor confidence.
Putin, whose approval ratings top 80 percent despite the recession, said the country can overcome any challenges.
“If we preserve a stable situation in domestic politics, preserve the current consolidation of society, we shouldn’t fear any threats,” he said.
Turning to foreign policy issues, Putin said his decision to lift a 2010 Russian ban on the delivery of the powerful S-300 air defense missile system to Iran followed a tentative deal on ending the Iranian nuclear standoff reached by Tehran and six world powers earlier this month.
Iran should be rewarded for showing “a great degree of flexibility and a desire to reach compromise,” he said.
The S-300 is a defensive weapon that shouldn’t pose any threat to Israel, and may in fact serve as “a deterrent factor in connection with the situation in Yemen,” he said.
Russia will continue to work with its partners on negotiating a nuclear deal with Iran, he said, arguing that the international sanctions against Iran still in place don’t ban the delivery of the S-300.
Russia remains open for overcoming current tensions with the West, but he warned Washington that it should stop treating Moscow as an inferior partner if it wants good ties.
“The main condition is to have respect for Russia,” he said, adding that the US “doesn’t need allies, they need vassals.”
Putin said that despite the frictions with the West, “we don’t see anyone as enemy,” adding that “we don’t recommend anyone to see us as enemy.”
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