Putin accuses West of building "new axis" similar to World War II

Russian President Vladimir Putin has accused the United States and NATO of building a new global "axis" that he says bears some resemblance to the World War II alliance between Nazi Germany, fascist Italy and imperial Japan.

On Sunday on state television, Putin criticized the United States for its double standards and its own approach to the formation of several military alliances.

"What about the United States? They form more and more alliances. And this justifies Western analysts, Western political scientists, to claim that the West is building new axes,” Putin said.

“NATO agreed last year on a new strategic concept for the Alliance's development. It specifically states that NATO will develop ties with countries in Asia-Pacific,” he added.

“And it specifically mentions the countries like New Zealand, Australia and South Korea... And yes, they announce the formation of a global NATO. So what exactly is that?” asked the President.

“It's about making contacts and building relationships in the military field. This is why – according to Western analysts, not us – the West is beginning to build a new axis similar to that set up by fascist regimes in Germany, Italy and militarist Japan in the 1930s,” he explained.

Days after receiving Chinese leader Xi Jinping, Putin also revealed that Russia and China are not forming a military alliance and that cooperation between their armed forces is "transparent".

"We are not establishing a military alliance with China," Putin said, adding, "We have cooperation in the field of military-technical interaction. We don't hide it... Everything is transparent, there is nothing secret.”

Recently, the US said it fears China might arm Russia, but China immediately denied the allegations.

"For decades, many have wished to turn China against the Soviet Union and Russia and vice versa," he said. “We understand the world we live in. We very much value our mutual relations and the level they have reached in recent years,” added the Russian President.

Putin maintained his defensive stance against the aggressive West in Ukraine.

US-led NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg recently paid a visit to Japan and South Korea, where he stressed that the Atlantic alliance is working closely with partners in the Indo-Pacific region.

He also urged nations to continue supporting Ukraine militarily and spoke about rising tensions between the West and China.