Russian President Vladimir Putin called for dialogue based on equal treatment and mutual respect with the United States yesterday in a congratulatory message to President Barack Obama marking US Independence Day.

Putin said US-Russian relations remained important for solving global crises. The two countries have disagreements over the conflict in Ukraine, defence matters and democracy. "In his message of congratulations, the Russian President noted that, despite the differences between the two countries, Russian-American relations remain the most important factor of international stability and security," the Kremlin said in a statement.