MOSCOW, December 17. /TASS/. Russia has no interest in fighting with NATO countries, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in an interview with Rossiya-1 TV channel journalist Pavel Zarubin.

In addition to saying that Moscow and the NATO members "have no territorial claims against each other," Putin also noted that Russia does not to "sour relations with them (NATO countries - TASS)".

According to the Russian leader, this "president of any large country, especially a NATO country, should understand that," and even more so the president of the United States, "the only owners of NATO," since "this is their backyard - the entire NATO organization."

Putin also stressed that Moscow is interested in establishing ties with NATO countries. He cited Finland as an example. "We had the friendliest, most cordial relations. There were no problems. Now there will be, because now we are going to create the Leningrad Military District and concentrate certain military units there," he said.