Russia, West Should Unite to Counter Common Threats - Putin

Russia and the West should unite to counter terrorism and to stop proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday.

ST PETERSBURG (Sputnik) – Russia and the West should be united by common threats such as terrorism and proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, it is necessary to prevent unfavourable developments through common actions, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday.

"We are united by many things. The prime minister was just speaking now of the fight against terrorism, but should this not unite us? Common threats? Should we not be united in the security sphere by proliferation of weapons of mass destruction? We should understand what is happening and where this could lead, and to block the unfavourable developments with joint actions," Putin said at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).

SPIEF, a major global platform for communication between business representatives and discussion of crucial economic issues, kicked off in Russia’s St. Petersburg on Thursday and will continue through Saturday. Sputnik News Agency is the official media partner of the forum.