On further development of the events surrounding the Russian-American relations reports on January 26 from Moscow American news agency Bloomberg:
"Putin is stepping up rhetoric against the US as his campaign for the March 4 presidential election intensifies after the biggest protests against his rule.
The US "wants to control everything" and takes decisions unilaterally on key questions, Putin said on a campaign stop yesterday in the Siberian city of Tomsk, 3,100 kilometers (1,900 miles) east of Moscow. "Sometimes I get the impression the US doesn't need allies, it needs vassals".
Putin, 59, is seeking a new term in the Kremlin amid the biggest challenge to his 12-year rule after fraud allegations at parliamentary polls sparked mass protests. The Russian leader, who has repeatedly accused the US of interfering in other countries' affairs, said last week that reports by a state-owned Moscow radio station supported American interests.
"The No. 1 reason Putin is doing this is elections. Jan Techau, director of the European Center of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Brussels, said yesterday in a phone interview. "It's pre-election saber-rattling. This is vintage Putin".
Putin's remarks added to anti-American rhetoric after a senior member of his ruling United Russia party said Jan. 24 that new US ambassador to Russia, Michael McFaul, is trying to fuel revolution by meeting with opposition leaders", reports Bloomberg.
Department of Monitoring
Kavkaz Center
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