Worsening Russia-West relations were not a recent phenomenon but could be traced back to the Western campaign in Iraq, President Vladimir Putin said Thursday.

Later events in Libya and other regions of the world just facilitated the cooling process, Putin said, adding Russia did not need to follow all Western social and moral standards when fostering ties with Western partners.

"It is impossible to implement their standards in a country like Russia. So let's don't demand that from each other, let's respect each other, let's seek ways for better understanding," he said.

Putin said the cooling of Russia- U.S. ties was provoked by Washington, not Moscow.

"Why on earth did they pass that anti-Russian Magnitsky Act? Just to show how cute they are," he said, adding Moscow warned the U.S. about a symmetrical response in advance.

"Still, it doesn't mean we need not undertake measures to improve these relations," Putin said.

Admitting the Russian response to the act might have flaws, Putin said Moscow was forced to make that move.

Meanwhile, he recommended Russia's western partners scrap the Cold War mindset and move on to cultivate friendly ties.

He pointed to relations between Russia and Germany and with the Netherlands as good examples.

"Despite some disagreements in the humanitarian sphere between us, these countries have been the leading trade partners of Russia," he said. Endi

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