Russian President Vladimir Putin stressed: “Today we hear that they want to defeat us (in relation to the West) on the battlefield (Ukraine). What do we say? Let them try,” emphasizing that “every side should know that we have not started serious business yet.” In Ukraine, he explained, “at the same time, we do not reject peace talks. But those who reject them should know that the longer (they reject it), the harder it will be for them to negotiate with us.”

He noted during a meeting with the leaders of the factions of the State Duma that “the so-called collective West, led by the United States, has been behaving very aggressively towards Russia for decades. Our proposals to create an equitable security system in Europe were rejected, and initiatives to work together on the issue of missile defense were rejected.

“We are told today we hear that we started a war in the Donbass, in Ukraine. No, it was started by the same collective West that organized and supported the anti-constitutional armed coup in Ukraine in 2014, then encouraged and justified the genocide against the people of Donbass,” he said. He argued that “this collective West itself is the direct instigator and culprit of what is happening today.”