Russia does not seek war with Europe, Putin says

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that Moscow has no plans to go to war with Europe, Gazeta.ru reported.

"The US was very worried about Russia's rapprochement with Europe, they intimidated Moscow, but Moscow was not going to war with Europe and is not going to war now," he said at a meeting of the Defence Ministry board.

Earlier, in an interview with a local TV channel, Putin refuted the claims that Russia may attack NATO as "absurd and a figure of speech."

Moscow and NATO countries "have no territorial claims against each other," he said, stressing that Russia does not seek to sour relations with NATO countries.

Instead, Russia is interested in developing relations with these countries, he added.

Slamming the scheme of some Western countries to launch a colour revolution in his country, Putin said it would never work in Russia which is "a free, independent and sovereign state."

On US-Russia relations, Putin said, "They will have to find common ground with us because they will have to take us into account."