Vladimir Putin: Russia open to cooperation with West but will not be 'dismantled like Yugoslavia'

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that Russia will not cease cooperation with European nations and the United States, in his annual state of the nation address to the Russian parliament.

He warned that despite some countries' wish to see Russia dismantled like Yugoslavia, he would not allow it to happen.

He criticised the "pure cynicism" of Western governments for attempting to install an iron curtain around Russia through sanctions, with Russia set to fall into recession next year.

The former KGB agent moved on to talk about Ukraine as a brotherly country but that the "tragedy" in the country's eastern regions demonstrated that Russian policy was "right".

"We have condemned the forcible seizure of power and murders in Odessa. What we are seeing now in Ukraine, the tragedy in the southeast, fully confirms that Russia's regarding February events as coup d'etat is right," he said.

"Some countries would like to see Russia dismantled in the same way as Yugoslavia. Separatism was supported from abroad."

US Secretary of State John Kerry responded to Putin's speech, saying that Russia should not isolate itself "through its own actions".

He criticised US moves to install an anti-ballistic missile shield in eastern Europe as it would be a direct threat to Russia.

Before his speech, a gunfight raged in Grozny, the capital of Chechnya, killing three police officers and six gunmen. Putin said he was confident that Chechen authorities would be able to deal with the attack.