President Putin Accuses US Of Trying To Drag Russia Into War

President Vladimir Putin with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief of Staff General Valery Gerasimov. (Wikimedia Commons/Kremlin.ru/Press Service of the President of the Russian Federation)

JAKARTA - Russian President Vladimir Putin accused the West on Tuesday of deliberately inventing a scenario designed to lure it into war, ignoring Russia's security concerns over Ukraine.

In his first direct public comments on the crisis in nearly six weeks, defiant President Putin has shown no sign of backing down from security demands, which the West has called a preposterous and possible reason for launching an invasion, which Moscow denies.

"It is clear now that Russia's fundamental concerns are being ignored," President Putin said at a news conference with the visiting Hungarian prime minister, one of several NATO leaders trying to mediate with him as the crisis escalated.

President Putin described a potential future scenario, in which Ukraine is accepted into NATO and then seeks to retake the Crimean peninsula, territory Russia seized in 2014.

"Let's imagine that Ukraine is a member of NATO and starts this military operation. Do we have to go to war with the NATO bloc? Has anyone thought about it? Apparently not," he stressed.

Russia has amassed more than 100,000 troops on Ukraine's borders, with Western countries saying they fear President Putin may be planning to attack.

Ukrainian military illustration. (Wikimedia Commons/Ministry of Defense of Ukraine)

Russia denies this, but says it can take unspecified military action unless its security demands are met. Western countries say any invasion will bring sanctions against Moscow.

The Kremlin wants the West to respect the 1999 agreement, that no country can strengthen its own security at the expense of others, which it considers to be at the heart of the crisis, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.

He raised the charter signed in Istanbul by members of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, which includes the United States and Canada, during a phone call with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

Foreign Minister Lavrov said Foreign Minister Blinken accepted the need to discuss this issue further while the US report on the call focused on Moscow's need to step down.

"If President Putin really doesn't want war or regime change, the Foreign Minister told Foreign Minister Lavrov then it's time to withdraw troops and heavy weaponry, and engage in serious discussions," a senior State Department official told reporters.

President Putin has not spoken publicly about the Ukraine crisis since December 23, leaving ambiguity about his personal position while diplomats from Russia and the West have been involved in repeated rounds of talks.

His remarks on Tuesday reflected a world view in which Russia needed to defend itself against an aggressive and hostile United States. Washington is not primarily concerned with Ukraine's security, but with detaining Russia, Putin said.

"In this case, Ukraine itself is only an instrument to achieve this goal," he said.

"This could be done in a different way, by pulling us into some kind of armed conflict and, with the help of their European allies, forcing the introduction of the tough sanctions they are talking about now in the US," he said.

Illustration of the Russian military on the Ukrainian border. (Wikimedia Commons/Anton Holoborodko)

Meanwhile, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who frequently debates with Western European leaders over democracy in his own country, said he was convinced after his talks with Putin that there was room for compromise.

"I believe that today the differences in positions that exist can be bridged and it is possible to sign an agreement that will guarantee peace, guarantee the security of Russia, and also be accepted by NATO member states," said PM Orban.

Western countries have rushed to show solidarity with Ukraine. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson met with President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in Kyiv, accusing Putin of pointing a gun at Ukraine's head to demand a change in the security architecture in Europe.

"It is very important that Russia step down and choose the path of diplomacy. And I believe it is still possible. We want to engage in dialogue, of course, but we have prepared sanctions, we are providing military support and we will also intensify our economic cooperation," said PM Johnson.

PM Johnson reiterated that any Russian invasion of Ukraine would lead to military and humanitarian disaster.

"There are 200,000 men and women under guns in Ukraine, they are going to put up very, very fierce and bloody resistance. I think parents, mothers in Russia should reflect on that fact and I really hope that President Putin steps back from the path of conflict and that we get involved in dialogue," said PM Johnson.

To note, President Zelenskiy, who has repeatedly played down the possibility of an imminent invasion, signed a decree to increase his armed forces by 100,000 troops over three years. He called on lawmakers to remain calm and avoid panic.

The troop increase "is not because we are going to war soon, but so that soon and in the future there will be peace in Ukraine," said President Zelenskiy.