Putin says 'no more wars' as long as Russia is 'treated with respect'
The Russian leader also played down reports Moscow was ready to attack some European countries
Vladmir Putin has vowed there will be no more wars after Ukraine as long as Russia is "treated with respect" while denying suggestions Moscow is ready to attack Europe.
President Putin made the promise on the basis Europe doesn't "cheat us like you cheated us with NATO's eastward expansion."
Speaking at a televised event, Mr Putin said: "There won't be any operations if you treat us with respect.
"If you respect our interests just as we've always tried to respect yours."
The Moscow leader spoke of going back on a so-called 1990 Western promise to then Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev before the fall of the Soviet Union. Gorbachev later denied the remark had been made.
Read more: 'Money today or blood tomorrow': EU moves toward using frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine
Putin spoke to journalists and members of the public during the "Direct Line" marathon event which combined questions in Moscow.
He also praised the US's "sincere" efforts to end the war, but said it was the West not Russia that was blocking a deal for peace.
The comments come after he accused accused European nations of being "burglars" as leaders attempted to hand frozen Russian assets to Ukraine.
Putin warned EU leaders that they face ‘grave consequences’ if frozen assets are handed to Zelenskyy.
The comments came as Ukrainian drones have blown up a Russian 'shadow fleet' oil tanker in the Mediterranean as part of an “unprecedented special operation."
The operation took place in the Mediterranean Sea more than 2,000 kilometres (1,243 miles) from Ukraine.
The Ukrainian strike on the tanker was announced as Putin began his annual address, with the Russian leader insisting: “So far, we don’t really see such readiness [from Ukraine] ... But still we see... certain signals, including from the Kyiv regime, that they are ready to engage in some kind of dialogue."
"Theft is not a great definition for this," he continued as part of the speech.
"Theft is [in] secret... here it is done in the open," he added, warning: “It’s burglary... the consequences are very serious for burglars.”
“This is not just a blow to the image – it undermines trust in the eurozone in this case, because, of course, many countries, not just Russia, store their gold and foreign exchange reserves in the eurozone."
The attack comes as EU leaders struck a deal to give Ukraine a €90billion (£79billion) loan on Friday.
However, the leaders failed to agree on using frozen Russian assets to help finance the loan, as Ukraine had hoped for.
Belgium remained hesitant about releasing the funds, given much of Russia's international assets are stored there, with legal challenges a risk.
President Trump previously touted the prospect of peace in Ukraine after reports of officials agreeing to provide the nation with "platinum' security guarantees.
He said earlier this week: "I think we're closer now than we have been ever" to peace in Ukraine.
"We had a very good conversation an hour ago with the European leaders involving the war with Russia and Ukraine.
"We had a very good discussion, things are seemingly going well but we've been saying that for a long time."
Instead, the €90billion interest-free loan will be funded by borrowing and backed up by headroom in the bloc's budget as well as an agreement to amend its so-called "multiannual financial framework".
The deal comes as a security source told Ukrainska Pravda that the tanker was a viable and legitimate target.
The Ukrainian mission saw the aerial drones unleash strikes that caused critical damage to the Russian tanker, named the Qendil, marking the first aerial attack in the Mediterranean Sea.
The tanker is said to have been empty of cargo at the time of the operation, with a source telling Ukranian outlet Ukrainska Pravda that the strike posed no environmental health risks as a result.
“The aggressor state used this tanker to circumvent sanctions and earn money that was used for the war against Ukraine,” they said.
“Therefore, from the point of view of international law and the laws and customs of war, this is an absolutely legitimate target for the SBU.
"The enemy must understand that Ukraine will not stop and will beat him anywhere in the world, wherever he is.”
According to ship logging site Vessel Finder, the tanker was built in 2006 with its last port call being Suez, Egypt, on December 16.