DHAKA: Russia president Vladimir Putin said on Thursday some countries would like Russia to be dismantled like Yugoslavia was but Moscow would not let it happen.

In his annual state-of-the-nation address at the Kremlin, Putin also said events in Ukraine showed that Russia's policy was right and accused the West of cynicism in its handling of the crisis.

He criticised US plans to build a missile defence shield in Europe and said there was no point in trying to talk to Russia from a position of strength.

Still, Putin said 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, reports The Straits Times.

BDST: 1742 HRS, DEC 04, 2014