The Russian President said on Thursday that depriving permanent members of the United Nations Security Council of their veto rights would destroy the world body.
Russia is one of five permanent veto powers at the UN who have for years faced pressure to reform the organisation to take account of changes in world demographics and economics since it was formed after World War Two.
But Putin told a gathering of experts that removing veto powers would reduce the world body to a talking shop.
Speaking at the annual meeting of the Valdai Discussion Club in Sochi, he said: “If we remove the veto right of the permanent members, the UN would die the very same day – it would turn into the League of Nations.
“It would simply become a discussion platform, the Valdai Club 2.0.”
The comments came as a response to Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s calls to change the rules of the organisation.
Speaking in Angola on Monday, on his tour of Africa, Mr Erdogan said “the world is bigger than five”, referring to the number of UN powers holding veto rights.
He added: “The fate of humanity should not be left to the mercy of a handful of countries that won World War Two.”
The two leader met three weeks earlier in Sochi to discuss trade and security between the two nations.
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The Turkish President said the meeting had been “fruitful”.
Putin said that Ankara and Moscow were “cooperating quite successfully on the international stage”.
On the return flight to Turkey from the talks, Erdogan told reporters he also proposed working with Russia on the construction of two more nuclear power plants, and Putin suggested developing platforms for space rocket launches, broadcaster NTV reported.
NATO member Turkey’s 2019 purchase of Russian S-400 missile defence batteries prompted Washington to cancel the sale of US F-35 fighter jets and sanction Turkey’s defence industries.
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When Erdogan suggested last month that Turkey will buy more S-400s, Washington said Turkey could face further measures under US legislation penalising countries that buy Russian arms.
In his comments to journalists after Wednesday’s talks in the Black Sea resort of Sochi, Erdogan did not mention further S-400 purchases but said Turkey would not back down, and highlighted other possible defence projects with Russia.
“We had the opportunity to discuss comprehensively what steps to take in the production of plane engines, what steps to take regarding fighter jets,” he said, adding that other measures could include building ships and submarines.
Russia’s Rosatom is building a nuclear power plant in Akkuyu in southern Turkey, and Erdogan said he suggested that Russia collaborate on construction of two further planned plants.
Erdogan said he would meet US President Joe Biden at the G20 in Rome this month, as well as at the United Nations’ climate summit in Glasgow, and would discuss the $1.4 billion which Turkey paid for the F-35 jets it can no longer buy.
“We will discuss all relations including, military, political, economic, commercial,” he said.
Earlier last month, Erdogan was quoted as saying on his return from a visit to New York that US-Turkish relations were not healthy and their current direction “does not bode well”.
However, after commenting on his plans to meet Biden this month he said on his return from Sochi: “There are some steps being taken that bode well”.
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