“We have a right to ask what this tragedy in Ukraine happened for? Was it not possible to settle all the issues, even the controversial issues, through a dialogue within the legal frameworks and legitimate processes?” the Russian president said in his address to the Federal Assembly.
“[The West] is trying to convince us that it is a wise and balanced policy and that we should follow it thoughtlessly. That is not what is going to happen,” Putin said.
Relations between Russia and the United States have deteriorated amid the Ukrainian crisis. The West has accused Russia of meddling in Ukraine’s internal affairs while Moscow has repeatedly denied the allegations and emphasized the necessity to settle the conflict peacefully through dialogue.
The United States, the European Union and a number of their allies introduced a range of sanctions targeting Russia's banking, energy and defense sectors. In response, Russia has imposed an embargo on food imports from the countries which announced restrictions against it.
