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MOSCOW – Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said on Friday that leaked U.S. diplomatic cables show "the full measure of cynicism" in U.S. foreign policy, AP reported.

"These leaks are exemplary, they show the full measure of cynicism in the assessments and conclusions that prevail in the foreign policy of various states, and I mean the U.S.," Mr. Medvedev said in televised remarks. "They are entitled to have."

He added, however, that the cables released by the WikiLeaks website were not critical to the U.S.-Russian ties. "We are not paranoid and don’t link U.S.-Russian ties to any leaks," Mr. Medvedev said.

He also joked that Russian diplomatic cables also contain unflattering characterisations of U.S. policies, diplomats and leaders.

"If, God forbid, mass media learned certain assessments made by Russia’s Foreign Ministry or special services, including (the assessments) of our U.S. partners, they’d have a whole lot of fun too," Mr. Medvedev said after a meeting with Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.

The leaked U.S. cables also described the hesitantly liberal Mr. Medvedev as Robin to Prime Minister Vladimir Putin’s Batman.

Mr. Putin is still widely believed to be running Russia after securing Mr. Medvedev’s election as his hand-picked successor and leaving the presidency in 2008.

Mr. Putin denounced the description as "arrogant, impudent and brazen."

The cables also described Russia as an authoritarian kleptocracy where the Kremlin delegates criminal operations to mafia bosses, top officials run a parallel tax system of bribes and men enter the Kremlin with suitcases full of cash.

Kremlin critics and opposition said they were unsurpised by the allegations made in the cables.