USA is 'living like a parasite': Vladmir Putin

Lake Seliger, Aug 2: Vladmir Putin, the Prime Minister of Russia has accused the United States of America of 'living like a parasite' and said that dollar dominance was not in the best interest of global economics.

While touring its lakeside summer, Putin told the pro-Kremlin youth group Nashi, "They are living beyond their means and shifting a part of the weight of their problems to the world economy."

And added, "They are living like parasites off the global economy and their monopoly of the dollar." The open-air meeting with admiring young Russians appeared to many as an early campaigning before parliamentary and presidential polls.

Referring to Obama's last-ditch deal to cut about $ 2.4 trillion from the US deficit, Putin said, "Thank god, that they had enough common sense and responsibility to make a balanced decision."

Noting that Russia holds a large amount of US bonds and treasuries, Putin said, "If over there (in America) there is a systemic malfunction, this will affect everyone. Countries like Russia and China hold a significant part of their reserves in American securities... There should be other reserve currencies."

Putin has always been a strong critic of the US and the US-Russian ties hit a rock-bottom during his presidency days in 2000-2008. However, under his protege Medvedev, the bilateral relations have seen a constant development.

OneIndia News