Putin warns of 'forces' in the USA trying to undermine successful talks with Trump

Doug Stanglin | USA TODAY

Russian President Vladimir Putin, in his first public comments since the Helsinki summit, echoed President Donald Trump's view that the talks were successful, but he warned of "forces" in the USA that are trying to undermine the results.

The Russian leader said U.S.-Russian relations are “in some ways worse than during the Cold War,” but the meeting of the two leaders Monday allowed them to start on “the path to positive change.”

“It’s naive to think that the problems would be solved in a few hours. But no one expected that,” he told a group of senior diplomats in Moscow on Thursday.

Putin's blunt warning came in extemporaneous remarks during a scripted speech, the Russian RT news agency reported.

"We can see forces in the United States, which would easily sacrifice Russian-American relationship for the sake of their ambitions in domestic political struggle in America," he said. "They would sacrifice the interests of the U.S. business, which loses contracts and ties in Russia, U.S. jobs, few as they may be, that rely on Russian-American cooperation.”

These forces "would sacrifice the interests of their allies in Europe and in the Middle East, including the state of Israel."

He said they would "sacrifice their own security,” noting that lack of progress on a new START nuclear arms treaty could cause the agreement to automatically expire.

“We were taught that people working for the state and society should think, first and foremost, about basic national interests and place them above all," he said. "Not so in this case. We see the forces in the U.S., who put their narrow group and party interests above those of their nation."

The president told the diplomats that his warning was not meant to scold anyone, but rather was an instruction to the diplomatic corps to be aware of such influences.

"Such are the facts of life for us today,” Putin stressed before returning to his scripted speech, RT reported.

Putin praised Russia’s “consistent, responsible, independent foreign policy.”

On other points in his formal remarks, Putin lashed out at Europe and U.S.-dominated NATO, saying Russia would hit back with an “equivalent response” to NATO bases near Russia’s borders and other “aggressive steps.” He did not elaborate.

He warned about the consequences of including Ukraine and Georgia in NATO, calling that an irresponsible policy.

He praised Trump's mediation efforts in North Korea but criticized his decision to pull out of the international accord curbing Iran’s nuclear activities.

The Russian leader warned of a serious possibility of a flare-up in southeastern Ukraine.

Contributing: The Associated Press