MOSCOW
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said he sees no obstacle to relations between Moscow and the western world being improved, despite their current historic low amid the crisis in Ukraine.
Putin said in a televised interview in Russia on Saturday: "Improving the relations not only at the hands of Moscow, it is also up to our [Western] partners. I do not see any obstacle for normalized relations."
Referring to a new system under which Ukraine will pre-pay for its natural gas from Russia, Putin repeated that Moscow will wait for "one more month" before switching to it, if Kiev fails to pay its debts.
The pre-payment system envisages Russia only supplying as much gas to Ukraine as Kiev can pay for.
Emphasizing that Russia would not ever accept an expansion of NATO to the East, Putin said: "We have to take measures against such a scenario. This is true, and no one can deny it."
englishnews@aa.com.tr
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