MOSCOW (RIA Novosti, AFP combined reports) - Russia's president said Thursday the country's recent tests of new ballistic missiles and its possible withdrawal from the CFE treaty are a direct response to unilateral, ungrounded actions of Western countries in the sphere of missile defense.

"There is no need to fear Russia's actions, they are not aggressive," Vladimir Putin said at a news conference after a meeting with the Greek president in the Kremlin.

"These actions are aimed at maintaining balance in the world order, and they are extremely important for maintaining peace and security globally."

"We are not the initiators of this new round of the arms race," said Putin.

"(Our partners) are stuffing Eastern Europe with new weapons. A new base in Bulgaria, another in Romania, a site in Poland, a radar in the Czech Republic...what are we supposed to do? We cannot just observe all this."

"Certain members of the international community wish to dictate their will to everyone despite the norms of international communication and law," he added.

Attempts by some actors in international relations to impose their will on others "are nothing other than diktat and nothing other than imperialism. This needs to be stated as it is," Putin stressed.

The test of the RS-24 long-range missile Tuesday was "an answer to the fairly harsh and completely unfounded unilateral actions of our partners," Putin was quoted as saying, in a clear reference to US plans to deploy an anti-missile shield in Poland and the Czech Republic.

Putin said Russia did not link its energy policy with political cooperation with its partners.

"Our position is open, absolutely transparent and market-based for all our partners, regardless of current political relations," Putin told the news conference.

"In our economic relations, we intend to depoliticize all our contacts," Putin said.