President Vladimir Putin meets executive editors of Russian print media and news agencies.

Axar.az reports citing sputniknews.com.

Putin's meeting with media representatives in the wake of upcoming Russia's Press Day is set to discuss current trends in the field of media.

While speaking about the recent drone attack on Russian military base in Syria, Vladimir Putin said that he believed Turkey had nothing to do with the issue amid the reports that alleged, the drones had been delivered from Turkey.

The attack was a provocation, aimed at undermining Russia's relations with partners, including Turkey, Vladimir Putin said, adding that Russia had taken additional measures to protect its military facilities in Syria.

"There were provocateurs there but they were not Turks, we know who was that… We know, how much and whom they have paid for this provocation," Putin said.

The US is constantly attempting to interfere in internal affairs of other countries and consider this a normal practice, Vladimir Putin said, adding that the US itself behaved aggressively in response to rumors of Russia's alleged interference in the US 2016 presidential election.

The Russian president has reiterated his position, saying that claims of Russian interference in the latest US elections were nonsense, adding that the anti-Russian card has repeatedly been played to threaten Donald Trump with impeachment.

While speaking about the relations between the US and Russia, Vladimir Putin said that Russia was ready to improve the bilateral relations, but a lot depended on the US itself.

"It [normalization of ties] does not depend on us. We are ready… but the internal political situation in the United States does not settle down. We see that and understand that the 'Russian card' is played in the US political life, the incumbent US president [Donald Trump] is constantly threatened with impeachment and imaginary intervention of Russia is used as a reason for it," Putin said at the meeting with the heads of Russian media outlets and news agencies

At the same time, Putin noted that any illegal unilateral sanctions against Russia by Washington would deteriorate bilateral relations.

"All the steps aimed at any kind of restrictions and at illegal sanctions — I would say it is absolutely clear that they are illegal — will hinder our relations," the president said.

The Russian president pointed out that North Korea must be convinced that its security was guaranteed even without the possession of nuclear weapons. At the same time, Putin noted that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un was a competent and mature politician.

Vladimir Putin assessed positively the fact that he would face 15 rivals during the 2018 presidential elections in Russia. While answering the question on Washington's criticism of election run ban of Russia's opposition figure Aleksei Navalny, Vladimir Putin said that the US was making a mistake by putting bets on their own candidates.

According to the Russian president, no country likes, when other states meddle in their internal affairs, including elections.