President Vladimir Putin said yesterday he did not expect a new Cold War over the crisis in Ukraine and denied trying to revive the Soviet Union following Russia's annexation of Crimea.

He blamed the violence and political instability on the West, and said Europe and America should compromise.

At a briefing on the sidelines of the St Petersburg International Economic Forum, Putin also accused Prince Charles of unacceptable and "unroyal behaviour" after the Prince is said to have compared Putin to Adolf Hitler.