SOCHI, October 21. /TASS/. Russia is the same "melting pot" as the US from the standpoint of building of a common nation and state, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday.

"The entire world refers to the US as a ‘melting pot’ that ‘melts down’ people of all nations, ethnicities, religions and so on. What’s bad about it? All of them are proud: the Irish, the Europeans, the Eastern Europeans, everyone, people of Latin American, African origin. Many of them are proud to be US citizens. That’s just great. This is what is meant by ‘melting pot.’ And Russia is a ‘melting pot’ as well," the President said.

The head of state noted that this process began with the establishment of the single Russian State.

"Following the baptism of Rus, the Russian nation and the centralized Russian state started to form. Based on the common market, common language, the power of the knyaz and common spiritual values, the Russian state began to form and later to expand. And this was also a ‘melting pot’," Putin noted.