Putin: Russia has 'no conflict with European society'

Russia is keeping its "window" to Europe open despite the "difficult times," Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday.

Putin said in an address to a cultural forum in St Petersburg on Friday that Russia would not shut Europe out, according to TASS state news agency.

"When there is a draft, one thinks: maybe, it would be reasonable to close the window a little just not to get cold," he said.

"But we have good weather," he said. "We are not closing anything, we have no conflict with European society."

Rather, he said. Russia is experiencing "difficult times" with the European elite.

The European Union and several Western nations have imposed tougher sanctions on Russia and individual lawmakers as Moscow's war on Ukraine rages on.

Despite the sanctions, the Kremlin continues to present positive economic data, although this is hard to verify.

On Friday, Putin said Russia's economic growth would exceed 3% by the end of the year.