Putin warns America not to act on 'bellicose itch' over Syria

Vladimir Putin lashed out at American interference on the world stage yesterday, ahead of Sunday's presidential election.

In the latest of a series of articles in the Russian press, the Prime Minister rehashed familiar Russian complaints but did not mention the "reset" in relations between Moscow and Washington in recent years.

Mr Putin said the West had provoked the Arab Spring uprisings, and cautioned against further intervention in Syria or an attack on Iran.

Russia vetoed a UN Security Council resolution on Syria and has steadfastly backed the Assad regime. Mr Putin said it would not allow a repeat of what happened in Libya, when it abstained from the UN vote and a full-scale military campaign followed. At the time, he referred to Western intervention in Libya as like medieval "crusades", language President Dmitry Medvedev called "unacceptable".

"Learning from that bitter experience, we are against any UN resolutions that could be interpreted as a signal for military interference in domestic processes in Syria," he wrote. "I strongly hope the US and other nations will learn from the sad experience and won't try to resort to a forceful scenario in Syria." Putin added. "I can't understand that bellicose itch."