A question regarding Ukraine triggered Vladimir Putin's anger during a press conference, leading the Russian president to lose his composure when discussing Moscow's "aggression" towards Kyiv, according to the "Daily Beast" newspaper. The annual press conference for Putin veered off course after a question from a reporter from Sky News regarding the crisis with Ukraine.
Putin erupted angrily when the reporter asked if Moscow could provide security guarantees against invading its neighbor. The Russian president responded to the reporter by saying, "You demand guarantees from us? You are the ones who should give us guarantees immediately and not after decades." He attempted to portray Russia as the victim in the crisis, claiming it was merely a "mediator" in the Ukrainian conflict.
In the press conference, Putin accused NATO of being the true aggressor, alleging that the West seeks to "destroy Russia." The newspaper noted that the Russian president revealed there was a "positive response" from the United States to Kremlin proposals regarding a "red line" concerning NATO. Russia submitted a draft proposal last week to the United States and NATO outlining its demands in exchange for de-escalating tensions over Ukraine, the former Soviet republic.
The proposals include that NATO should not accept new members into the military alliance and call for no military bases to be established in former Soviet states. Putin clarified, "Our American partners say they are ready to begin discussions early next year in Geneva. Both sides have appointed representatives, and I hope things continue along this path."
On Thursday, a senior U.S. official announced that the United States is ready to "begin a diplomatic dialogue" with Russia "starting in early January," but under certain conditions, marking the first response to the Russian president’s annual press conference.
Putin's remarks came as Ukraine released satellite images claiming to show Moscow amassing more troops at its border, while the Russian Ministry of Defense announced massive "offensive" drills in Crimea. The war in Eastern Ukraine erupted in the spring of 2014, resulting in 13,000 deaths following a pro-Western revolution in Kyiv, which was followed by Moscow's annexation of the Crimean Peninsula.
