MOSCOW, March 7. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin takes no offence at being depicted as a villain by some western experts, as he himself said in an interview with broadcast journalist Vladimir Solovyov that was included in a documentary entitled World Order 2018.

When asked if it discouraged him to observe such beliefs, Putin answered in the negative. "First, I’ve gotten used to it long ago," he said. Second, in Putin’s words, "there are very good guidelines." "The interests of Russia and its people are the guidelines," the president pointed out. "As long as I feel that I am following these guidelines, I will not abandon my path and will care little about other things, they just don’t distract me from efforts to achieve the goals that I consider paramount for my country," he added.

In response to a question as to how it feels to be "a villain," Putin said the question should be "forwarded to villains." He also noted that "it is an opinion expressed by western sources, but not everyone - even in the West - shares it."