Moscow: Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday vowed to "systematically" press on with Moscow's offensive in Ukraine, as he gave his state of the nation address.
"Step by step, we will carefully and systematically solve the aims that face us," Putin said ahead of the first anniversary of the military intervention.
He also said that the West was "completely responsible" for the escalation in Ukraine. "The responsibility for fuelling the Ukrainian conflict, for its escalation, for the number of victims... lies completely with Western elites," Putin told Russia's top officials and political elites.
"The West is trying to turn a local conflict into a global conflict and “we will react in an appropriate way. We are talking about the existence of our country," he added.
Putin's remarks come a day after US President Joe Biden made a trip to Kyiv, organised in strict secrecy. The US President promised Ukraine $500 million in fresh arms and "unwavering" American support ahead of the first anniversary of Russia's invasion.
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