Moscow Ready to Work Both With Both Assad and Washington - Putin

It is easy for Moscow to work with Assad and with Washington, Russian president Vladimir Putin said while speaking about the Syria crisis settlement.

"Speaking about Syrian crisis I can say that it is easy for us to work with president Assad and with the US. I've spoken about it earlier with president Obama and with our friends from Saudi Arabia, and from other Arab states," Putin said in an interview for the Vladimir Solovyov's documetary "World Order" which will be broadcast on the Rossiya-1 TV channel.

"Why is it easy, you're asking? Because we're not playing the hypocrite, we're not changing our position [on Syria]," the president added.

According to Putin, Russia has always been very certain about how to settle the Syrian crisis.

"We've asked to the people first: whether they agree with us on this or not. And they said 'yes' to the key points of the [Syrian] crisis settlement. We then developed our position on those parts that are common and acceptable, which is why we now do not need to rush about like a fly in a bottle," Putin added.

Syria has been in a state of civil war since 2011, with the country’s government fighting a number of opposition factions, as well as radical Islamist groups including Daesh — outlawed in Russia — and the Nusra Front.

The United States, alongside other Western nations, is calling for Assad to step down. Moscow maintains Assad is the legitimate authority in the country.

On Friday, the UN Security Council adopted a resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire, endorsing a previously agreed timeline of a transitional government in Syria, holding UN-monitored elections and reiterating the call for the Syrian people to decide the future of Syria.

The resolution is seen as a compromise in the viewpoints of Moscow and the West.

Moreover, Russia is open and ready for cooperation with European states in the economic and political sectors and also in fighting terrorism, Russian president said.

"European countries are interested in economic and political cooperation as well as in the fight against terrorism. Cooperate with Russia," Putin said in an interview for the Vladimir Solovyov's documetary "World Order" which will be broadcast on the Rossiya-1 TV channel.

"We're not going to pout about sanctions," Putin noted. Russia has always been very certain about how to settle the Syrian crisis.

Relations between Russia and the West deteriorated in 2014 after Brussels and Washington accused Moscow of fueling the Ukrainian crisis, imposing a range of sanctions, including on Russia's energy, banking and defense industries.

Moscow has repeatedly denied the allegations, asserting instead its desire for a diplomatic settlement to the conflict and noting its contribution to the Ukrainian peace process.

The EU economic sanctions against Russia are due to expire on January 31 if the bloc does not extend the restrictive measures.