Putin: The Serious Phase Has Not Yet Begun

Russian President Vladimir Putin affirmed that the serious phase in Ukraine has not yet begun. In a meeting with faction leaders in the State Duma, Putin stated that Russia has not yet started any of its serious tasks in Ukraine. He said, "We must all know that, in general, we have not really begun anything serious." He added, "We are being told, we hear today that we have started a war in Donbas, in Ukraine. No, this was initiated by this collective West, which organized and supported an unconstitutional armed coup in Ukraine in 2014, and then encouraged and justified the genocide against the people in Donbas." He continued, "This same collective West is the direct instigator and culpable party in what is happening today."