Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that Russia was not responsible for initiating the conflict in Ukraine, which began after the 2014 coup, supported by Western nations. He made these remarks during a meeting with the crew of the nuclear submarine Arkhangelsk.
"We were neither the architects nor the initiators of this conflict. It began following the coup in Ukraine in 2014, backed by Western countries, and was followed by hostilities in the southeast of Ukraine," Putin said.
He emphasized that for eight years, Russia sought a peaceful resolution to the situation. "We had to step in to protect Crimea, its residents, and Sevastopol. We persistently tried to resolve the issues concerning Donbas and Luhansk through diplomatic means," he added.
Putin also accused the Ukrainian authorities of committing atrocities in Donbas, stating that civilians there had endured years of suffering, which the West chose to ignore. "For eight years, the people of Donbas, Luhansk, and Donetsk were subjected to what can only be described as genocide. Western backers of the Ukrainian regime turned a blind eye. That is what forced us to take action by military means—to put an end to the war that started in 2014. We did not start it," he concluded.
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Photo: official website of the President of the Russian Federation
Based on materials from TASS