Putin considers Soviet Union historical Russia

Russian President Vladimir Putin declared that the Soviet Union is historical Russia.

He announced this at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), according to Gazeta.ru.

“I spoke publicly and without any hesitation, the Soviet Union - what is it? This is historical Russia. As it happens, it ceased to exist,” Putin said.

The head of state also stressed that Russia in recent history has always treated the processes of sovereignisation that have occurred in the post-Soviet area with respect.