MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The United States is not interested in developing equal partnerships, but rather in finding vassals, and Russia is not interested in this format of relations, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday.
"I have already said this during one of the 'direct lines' [annual Q&A sessions] – certain major powers, superpowers who claim exclusivity, consider themselves to be the only center of power in the world. They don't need allies, they need vassals. I mean the United States. Russia cannot exist in such a system of relations."
Putin noted that after World War II the Soviet Union tried to impose its model of development on other countries and failed.
"By the way, Americans are acting similarly, trying to impose their model basically on the whole world, and they will fail too," Putin said.
Western countries will sooner or later realize that they should compromise with Moscow instead of trying to impose their views on Russia, Russian President Vladimir Putin added.
Putin said that attempts to harm Russia with sanctions were “useless and senseless.”
“I think that our partners will realize this at some point and at least try to find a compromise instead of imposing clichés, which they think are right."
In response to Western sanctions, in August 2014 Moscow introduced a ban on agricultural imports from the countries that imposed restrictions on Russia.
Putin added that Russia and its interests must be respected for normal relations with the West to be restored.
Putin reiterated that Moscow does not consider any country its enemy and advises other states against treating Russia this way.
“We are a country with huge growth potential, vast natural resources and, naturally, we are a nuclear superpower. So it’s an equal honor to be our friend or enemy… We do not consider anyone enemy and we advise not to view us as enemies.”
Russia Has No Intention of Going to War, but Will Continue Boosting its Defense Capabilities
"I assume that we are not going to fight, but we will, of course, strengthen our defense capabilities, so that no one has any desire to battle Russia."
The president added that Russia's rearmament program may be finished later than initially planned. "There is a rearmament plan until 2020, we may move it a little bit… but without a doubt the program will be concluded," Putin said.
Moscow's relations with the West hit rock bottom following the reunification of Crimea with Russia last March after a referendum. The United States, the European Union and their allies accused Russia of illegally annexing the peninsula and fueling the armed conflict in southeastern Ukraine and introduced a series of economic sanctions against Russia. Moscow has repeatedly denied the accusations.
Russia is currently facing large-scale military reforms which started being implemented in 2008. The measures include an ambitious rearmament program worth 20 trillion rubles ($325 billion).
By 2020, it is expected that 70 percent of the Russian army's weapons and military equipment will have been modernized.
During his 2014 year-end press conference, Putin said Russia's military budget would rise to $50 billion in 2015, despite economic problems. A report published by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) earlier in the week suggests that in 2014 US military expenditures were seven times higher than that of Russia.
