Putin says Russia will work with any US president

“You see, it’s like I said”, Putin said. “We need to regain trust in Russian-European relations and to restore the level of interaction”, he said.

While investment continues to declne, he said that reflects not only investor concerns about Russia’s structural problems and western economic sanctions, but low oil prices which have killed off new energy industry projects.

“We hold no grudge and are willing to reach out to our European partners but obviously this can’t be a one-sided game”.

The Russian president underscored that Russia likes Indian culture.

The economic sanctions that Moscow introduced as a response to the West imposing restrictions on Russian Federation after the coup in Kiev have not affected America in any way, but they have done harm to Europe.

“Well, if they want to, let them put up with it”.

Putin’s seeming acknowledgment of American supremacy Friday would please Trump, who constantly complains that the rest of the world no longer respects US strength.

The comments came during the president’s speech during the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. The Russian ban on food imports has hurt agricultural exporters like Greece and Italy. Putin reiterated the Russian position that missile shields are a threat because they upset the nuclear deterrent that has kept peace between the two nuclear powers throughout the Cold War and afterwards.

“The number of participants in the St. Petersburg forum growing from year to year shows that Russian Federation has been and remains the most important center of attraction for the business contacts and business community all over the world, ” Anton Kobyakov said.

The United States and the European Union slapped Russian Federation with economic sanctions in 2014 after it annexed Ukraine’s Crimea peninsula and threw its backing to separatist rebels in eastern Ukraine.

The EU on Friday extended some of its sanctions, and was to consider whether to extend others in the coming weeks.

Despite lingering tensions over Ukraine, there are tentative signs of a thaw in relations and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker met Putin at the St Petersburg forum.

Putin spoke with Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, who said that he will urge his European colleagues in the 28-member bloc to thoroughly discuss their next move regarding the EU’s anti-Russia sanctions.

But he kept his opinion on the outcome of the plebiscite to himself and said: “Who can predict it?”