Putin: Russia was forced to respond to the war in Donbass

Vladimir Putin
© kremlin.ru

Russia was forced to respond to the war in Donbass unleashed by Kiev, said President Vladimir Putin, answering a question from the head of the Agency for Strategic Initiatives Svetlana Chupsheva during a visit to the Zotov center in Moscow. A fragment of the conversation is published on the Kremlin website.

He stressed that the Russian Armed Forces are delivering strikes with long-range high-precision weapons, and it is precisely at military infrastructure facilities and ammunition depots.

“It is clear that they will always look for the guilty precisely in Russia, but this is not so: we did not unleash this war, I repeat, in 2014 the Kiev regime unleashed a war in the Donbass, and we are not using the means used by the Ukrainian bigwigs,” he said. Putin.

At the same time, the president called competition between Russia and Ukraine inevitable after the collapse of the USSR. However, according to the Russian leader, it was assumed that it would take place in a civilized way, based on the proximity, historical, cultural and linguistic commonality of the two countries.

Putin noted that after gaining independence, Ukraine declared itself a neutral state. Despite this, Kyiv stood up to join NATO. “Not only were we deceived and told that there would be no movement of NATO to the east, but here they also reached Ukraine,” the head of state said.

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• Putin said that Kyiv has been fighting against the Russian people for nine years • Volodin said that the issue of the security of the whole world is being decided in Ukraine • Putin said that competition between Russia and Ukraine is inevitable after the collapse of the USSR