 Putin accuses West of pursuing divide and conquer policy. Vladimir Putin has said that Russia's opponents want to tear up Russia as this country's policy is based on divide and conquer principle. At the core of it all is a policy of our geopolitical opponents aiming to tear apart Russia, the historical Russia. Putin told local media on Sunday, adding that the West has always tried to divide and conquer. The historical Russia that Putin mentions is a reference to his arguments that Ukrainians and Russians are one people, a justification he used to start the invasion of Ukraine 10 months ago. Putin stressed that Kremlin's objective today was to unite the Russian people. We are acting in the right direction. We are protecting our national interests, the interests of our citizens, of our people, he said. Putin reiterated his previous comments that Russia has always tried to ensure that all disputes that arise are resolved by peaceful means through negotiations. Putin's comments come days after Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky visited the United States, where he secured Washington's pledge of support amid Russian invasion of the country. On the same day, Washington announced a $1.85 billion in military aid package to Ukraine that includes the Patriot air defense system. Of course, we'll destroy it 100%. Putin had said with reference to the Patriot missile battery given to Ukraine.