Putin: It is not Russia who has spoiled relations but the West

Moscow is not to blame for the deterioration in relations between Russia and the West, but its foreign partners, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in an interview to the newspaper Corriere della Sera on the eve of his visit to Italy.

"I am sure that Russia is not to blame for the fact that relations between the Russian Federation and the European Union have deteriorated. This is not our choice, we have been imposed on by our partners, we do not place any of the restrictions on trade or economic activity which were entered against us, we were forced to take retaliatory safeguard measures, " RIA Novosti quotes him as saying.

"Everything that we do is a simple response to the threats that arise against us. And we do it in a very limited scope and scale, but so that it would provide the guaranteed security of Russia," Vladimir Putin said.

In this regard, he called the fear that Russia will attack NATO completely unfounded. "With regard to the concerns of some countries about the possible aggressive actions of Russia, I think that only an unhealthy person, and in a dream, can imagine that Russia will attack NATO suddenly. In some countries, it just seems to me, it is  speculated on fears against Russia," he said.