The West was lying about peace and is cynically using Ukraine and its people to sow discord in Russia, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in his New Year's address to the nation.
"The West was lying about peace while gearing up for aggression and now it is admitting it openly, without hesitation. And they are cynically using Ukraine and its people in order to weaken and divide Russia," the head of state said.
"We have never let anyone do this and never will," Putin emphasized.
He noted that for years Western elites have been hypocritically assuring of their peaceful intentions including the resolution of the Donbass conflict. "Actually, in every possible way they were encouraging the neo-Nazis who continued military and openly terrorist actions against the civilians of the people's republics of Donbass," the Russian president added.