(VOVWORLD) -Russian President Vladimir Putin has defied Western countries’ accusations and sanctions, saying they are aimed at containing the development of Russia, which they perceive as a rival.
During an online Q&A session with Russians on Thursday, Putin said he believed that this is an erroneous policy, stressing that one should not try to contain others but should foster cooperation, which would produce a beneficial effect for the global economy.
He called the heavy aluminum and steel tariffs imposed by the United States sanctions against Europe, Canada and Mexico, and stressed the need for the global community to develop unified, universally understandable and firm rules of conduct both for economic interactions and for the security sphere.
Regarding the conflict in Syria, Putin said that Russia's presence in Syria has allowed Moscow's military to test some of its more advanced weaponry.