VTB informed EADS in early September that it acquired 5.02% of its capital, but the respected Russian daily Vedomosti reported the purchase in late August.
Speaking about his partners' reaction to the purchase, Putin said it was cautious but constructive.
"They are afraid... that we can accumulate a [large] stake and use it to destroy the company but we are not planning to do this," Putin said.
"We have already said that this is a market operation," he said. "If we agree on our industrial participation and distribution of control, we may hand this stake to the new company [UABC]."
If no agreement is reached Russia will just help EADS implement projects and VTB will continue playing on the securities market, he said.
Putin's aide Sergei Prikhodko said in mid-September that he did not rule out Vneshtorgbank's purchase of a blocking stake in EADS, which holds an 80% stake in Airbus, a 10% stake in Russian aerospace holding Irkut, and other assets.
Putin signed a resolution February 21 on forming the UABC that will be a majority state-owned corporation, consolidating aircraft building companies and state assets engaged in the manufacture, design and sale of military, non-military, transport and unmanned aircraft. State-owned fighter jet producer MiG, as well as aviation companies Sukhoi, Tupolev, and Ilyushin will be integrated into the UABC. The corporation is likely to be registered by the end of September 2006.
