Vladimir Putin, while speaking in a recorded broadcast on Friday on TV Channel 1, a Russian television network, made no reference to the potential threat of additional sanctions imposed on Moscow by the countries of the West. The latter accuse Moscow of military action taken against Ukraine.

However, the Russian leader expressed that it is the countries of the West who are to be held accountable for the Ukraine crisis, as they had backed last February’s protest wave which led to the ”coup d’etat” against the pro-russian president Victor Janukovic, without considering if this was to spark any clashes.

”They should have known that Russian won’t turn a blind eye when people are shot almost at point blank range”, said Putin, further elaborating that he refers to” Russian civilians and not a Russian State”.

As broadcasted by Ria Novosti news agency, when asked on whether the ongoing crisis’ end can be predicted, Putin said ” No, as to a great extent this depends on the political will of the Ukrainian authorities that are currently in governance”.