The Russian leader argued that most of Europe is edging towards recession while countries outside the traditional Western bloc are surging ahead Vladimir Putin takes aim at UK as he claims he 'hardly understands' why its 'great' (Image: Getty Images)

Vladimir Putin has taken a swipe at the United Kingdom’s global standing, questioning why it should be considered “great” as he mocked the economic relevance of the G7 during an interview with India Today.

Speaking on Thursday, the Russian president compared Britain’s economic weight to India’s, arguing that most of Europe is edging towards recession while countries outside the traditional Western bloc are surging ahead.

"I can hardly understand why countries of the G7 call themselves G7. You know, in Russia it's called G-like

See Full Page