In excerpts from an interview that will be carried on state television later on Sunday, Russian President Vladimir Putin criticised the West for attempting to "tear apart" Russia, news agency AFP reported.
“At the core of it all is the policy of our geopolitical opponents aiming to tear apart Russia, the historical Russia,” Putin said.
“They have always tried to ‘divide and conquer’... Our goal is something else — to unite the Russian people,” he said.
By asserting that Ukrainians and Russians are one people and undermining Kyiv's sovereignty, Putin has utilised the idea of "historical Russia" to support his 10-month onslaught in Ukraine.
“We are acting in the right direction, we are protecting our national interests, the interests of our citizen, of our people,” Putin said.
In order to "find an acceptable solution" to the issue, the president stated repeatedly that Moscow was "ready to talk with all parties in this process."
President Joe Biden of the United States gave Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy strong assurances of assistance, including the most sophisticated air defence system the Pentagon has to provide, on his first trip outside Ukraine since the attack started in February.
"We will definitely demolish it, of sure!" Putin mentioned the Patriot missile battery that Zelenskyy had been given.
Earlier, Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said, "The talks in Washington have shown that neither Ukraine nor the United States is seeking peace. They are simply intent on continuing the fighting," reported BBC.
Reacting to the missile aid, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s spokesperson Dmitry Peskov had said, “The Patriot air defence is outdated. An antidote will always be found … Russia will knock down the Patriot system,” reported The Guardian.
Hinting that Ukraine will have to surrender in exchange for peace, Peskov said, “All armed conflicts end through negotiations...the sooner this becomes clear to Kyiv, the better.” He added that Patriot missiles would not prevent Russia from “achieving its goals during the special military operation”.
(With Inputs From Agencies)