Russia is “not seeking conflict with anyone”, President Vladimir Putin has said in his annual Kremlin speech to parliament and the nation.
“Unlike some foreign colleagues who see Russia as the enemy, we do not seek – and never sought – enemies. We need friends,” he said.
But “we will not permit harm to our interests”, he added.
He said Russia was ready to work with the new US administration to fight terrorism.
Mr Putin has previously said he hopes for better relations with the US once President-elect Donald Trump takes office.
He praised the courage of Russian military personnel fighting rebel groups in Syria, in support of President Bashar al-Assad – and drew applause in the ornate Kremlin hall.
“Of course I’m counting on joint efforts with the US in fighting a real – not invented – threat, that is, international terrorism,” he said.
He also warned that any attempt to “break the strategic parity” could be globally catastrophic – an apparent reference to the Russian-US nuclear balance.
