MOSCOW. July 7 (Interfax-AVN) - U.S. President Barack Obama said his country wanted to see Russia prosperous, with strong positions in the world arena.
Obama said he could speak candidly about the future the United States aspires to. America, undoubtedly, wants to see Russia strong, confident and prosperous, the U.S. president told graduates of the Russian School of Economics on Tuesday.
This position reflects the American people's respect for Russian history and culture, and for the Russian people, he said.
Despite rivalry in the Cold War era, the two nations did not fight against each other, he said, noting that Russia and the United States were allies during World War II.
Soviet soldiers went through enormous trials during the war to rebuff the invasion and to deter the enemy, he said.
No other nation in the history of wars has suffered more than the Soviet Union did during World War II, Obama said, citing U.S. former President John Kennedy.
One must talk about the desire to see Russia strong, the U.S. president said.