Putin says Russia will not scale back ties with Europe, America

President Vladimir Putin pledged on Thursday that Russia would not scale back its ties with the West despite bitter ongoing confrontation over the Ukraine crisis.

“Under no circumstances are we going to scale back our ties with Europe, America, at the same time we will revive and expand traditional ties with the south of the American continent, will continue cooperation with Africa, with countries in the Middle East,” Putin said in his state of the nation address at the Kremlin.