MOSCOW, December 14. /TASS/. It is important to keep the UN veto mechanism in place, otherwise the organization will turn into a mere talkfest, Russian President Vladimir Putin said.

"This [veto mechanism] makes a lot of sense. Having a veto means that any actions a country perceives as hostile do not happen. And this is important. So, it is vital to preserve such mechanisms in the United Nations. Otherwise, the UN will turn into a mere talkfest," the president said during his combined Direct Line Q&A session and year-end press conference.

He recalled that something similar happened after World War I. "But this in no way means that we should not look for consensus," he stressed.

In his words, "there is nothing unusual" about the United Nations being a place of different viewpoints. "During the Cold War, various forces, various countries often blocked these or those resolutions supported by other countries. But the United Nations was originally meant to look for consensus. And no resolution can be passed until such a consensus is reached. Nothing abnormal is happening in the United Nations. Things have always been this way, especially during the Cold War," he said.

He also recalled former Soviet Foreign Minister Andrey Gromyko, who was dubbed in the press as Mr. No because the Soviet Union often vetoed UN resolutions.