MOSCOW. April 8 (Interfax) - Russia is not going to improve its relations with the European Union as a whole by using only certain EU members, Russian President Vladimir Putin said.
"I want to reassure you that we are not going to use anything within the EU so as to fragmentarily resolve the issue of improving our relations with the EU as a whole," Putin told a press conference after talks with Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras in Moscow on Wednesday.
He was commenting on claims by certain EU politicians and media reports that Russia wants to use Greece as a Trojan horse to improve its relations with the EU.
"We are not trying to persuade or talk anyone into doing anything," the Russian president said.
"We are simply open to positive cooperation aimed at achieving positive results in the interest of our people and our economies. And if the Greek government led by Mr. Tsipras thinks it possible to restore and broaden the relations with Russia, we can only welcome it and ready to make similar steps in all the spheres we discussed today," Putin said.
"Any country is entitled to make decisions in accordance with its national interests, and I agree with those observers and political analysts who are saying that when Russia is visited by some other leaders, that is considered normal," Putin said.
So it is strange that the visit by the Greek prime minister to Russia is seen as something out of the ordinary, Putin said.
"This is something I cannot understand. Is it that Greece, burdened by debts, is now all tied up politically, and its sovereignty is now so limited that it cannot pursue an independent foreign policy? I don't think so, and all actions by the Greek prime minister point to the contrary," Putin said.