Russian president Vladimir Putin said Russia has key interests in common with the United States and needs to work with it on a common agenda . Russia has key interests in . common with the United States and needs to work with it on a. common agenda , Russian president Vladimir Putin said on Saturday . in a television interview . In his comments to the state-run Rossiya channel , Putin . appeared to soften his anti-American rhetoric after being highly . critical . Relations between Moscow and Washington , and other . Western powers , have soured over the conflict in Russia 's . neighbor Ukraine , sinking to an all-time low . 'We have disagreements on several issues on the . international agenda . 'But at the same time there is something . that unites us , that forces us to work together , ' Putin said . ' I mean general efforts directed at making the world economy . more democratic , measured and balanced , so that the world order . is more democratic . 'We have a common agenda . ' Putin has in the past fiercely attacked the United States . and the West in general , blaming them for the Ukraine crisis , . which Russia says was the result of a Western-backed 'coup ' against Ukraine 's former leader Viktor Yanukovich . Russia has repeatedly denied accusations from Kiev and the . West that it is supporting pro-Russian rebels with troops and . weapons in eastern Ukraine , where more than 6,000 people have . been killed since last April . His latest remark comes two days after an annual TV phone-in . show in which Putin accused the United States of trying to . dominate world affairs , saying it wanted 'not allies , but . vassals ' . On Saturday , Putin ( pictured above with U.S. president Obama in November 2014 at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit ) said the U.S. and Russia have a common agenda of general efforts directed at making the world economy more democratic , measured and balanced . During the Thursday interview , he also made it clear that Russia wants an end to fighting in eastern Ukraine and is interested in rebuilding damaged ties with the United States and other Western nations . The U.S. and the European Union imposed sanctions on Russia over Moscow 's annexation of the Crimean Peninsula and accusations of supporting separatists in Ukraine . At the same time , he reaffirmed his long-held criticism of what he sees as U.S. aspirations of global domination , saying Washington must learn to treat Russia as an equal partner . 'The main condition for restoring normal relations is to have respect for Russia and its interests , ' Putin said on Thursday , adding that the United States 'does n't need allies ; they need vassals . ' However , his criticisms of the West on Saturday were more moderate . than in some previous appearances . But , both Russia and the West say they back a peace deal . agreed in Minsk in February , as a result of which a ceasefire in . the Donbass region is largely holding .
Putin said on Saturday that the countries need to work on common agenda . "We are ready for a dialogue with our partners in order to find solutions and create new opportunities for cooperation between Russia and Ukraine," he said.