MOSCOW, Nov 16 (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin, speaking after European Union criticism of Russia's Chechen policy, warned on Saturday that attempts to "justify terrorism" could undermine the U.S.-led anti-terror coalition.
"I am very concerned about a situation in which someone here or there tries to put forward the thesis, or bring into the public consciousness, that there may be something that can justify terrorism," he told Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma in remarks broadcast on Rossiya state television.
"This is absolutely unacceptable, not only because it could lead to the destruction of the anti-terrorist coalition, but it would also almost certainly provide support for people with inhuman aims who use terrorist methods."
After last year's September 11 attacks on U.S. landmarks, Russia provided staunch support to the United States in its campaign against the Taliban militia in Afghanistan, and in its search for members of Osama bin Laden's Al Qaeda organisation.
Putin made no mention of any individual or state. But his comments came five days after a Russia-EU summit at which he made a strongly worded and impassioned defence of his military drive to crush separatists in Chechnya.
Since Chechen guerrillas seized a Moscow theatre last month, Russia has said it has cancelled a policy of gradually pulling troops out of the region.
Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen, whose country holds the EU's rotating presidency, told Danish radio on the sidelines of the summit with Putin that military action could not provide a long-term solution to the Chechnya problem.
Other EU leaders have also called for peace negotiations.
Russia refuses to negotiate with the Chechen elected leadership, forced into hiding by the Russian military campaign, and has long said that its fight against Chechen separatists was connected to the U.S. anti-terror campaign.
"It is extremely important to strengthen the international coalition against terrorism. We must not under any circumstances allow any double standards," Putin said.