Putin warns of efforts to disintegrate Russia into dozens of states

Speaking on Friday via video link at a meeting of Russia's Council on Interethnic Relations, Putin said, “They say Russia should be divided up into tens of different states.”

He added that the more sanctions the West hits Russia with, the greater the level of cohesion within Russian society.

Putin noted that the opponents of the Russian nation will continue to try to rock the country from within by using agents and marginal persons.

"Our eternal geopolitical rivals and adversaries are using their agents inside the country, as well as a partially withdrawn abroad network of agents and various kinds of marginal persons, to try and keep trying to rock our country from within," he pointed out.

"But we must remember that they [agents of Russia's opponents] exist and will continue to be used for their purposes by those who want to influence us, they will be used in their fight against Russia," he stated.

"And the struggle will continue, no doubt. Our geopolitical opponents have been doing it for centuries, they are doing it now, and they will certainly do it in the future," Putin noted. "As they say in such cases, no fantasy," he pointed out.

"They are going to improve this tool, and we have to keep this in mind," Putin concluded.

The Russian leader's remarks came as the West was making preparations to slap new sanctions against Russia over the ongoing Ukraine crisis.

Leaders of the Group of Seven (G7), the world's richest countries agreed on Friday to stiffen sanctions against Russia, while a draft communique to be issued after their talks in the Japanese city of Hiroshima stressed the need to reduce reliance on trade with China.