In China, Russia's Putin calls US a parasite

Latest News - Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin is likening the U.S. to a parasite following his meetings with Chinese leaders to push ahead energy deals and draw the once wary neighbors closer.

In an interview with Chinese state media released Tuesday, Putin said that the U.S. itself is not a parasite for the world economy but that its dollar monopoly is. Putin said his criticism was meant to help find a solution to problems in the world economy.

Putin's reproach came after a half-day of talks in Beijing in which he and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao reportedly agreed on pricing of oil shipped to China and vowed to push ahead on gas prices.