Putin Says Washington Responsible for 'Ukraine Crisis'

Russian President Vladimir Putin told New US Ambassador in Moscow Lynne Tracy that Washington was responsible for the Ukrainian conflict, adding that the relations between the two countries are experiencing a deep crisis.

"Relations between Russia and the United States, from which global security and stability directly depend, are going through a deep crisis," Putin said on Wednesday.

He affirmed that the US foreign policy "in the end led to the current Ukrainian crisis."

During a ceremony of accepting credentials from 17 new foreign ambassadors, Putin highlighted that ties between Russia and the EU seriously deteriorated recently.

"The head of the EU’s mission who is present here probably shares the view that the Union’s relations with Russia have deteriorated seriously in recent years, much to our regret," he said.

Putin noted that the EU has abandoned its "main initial function of economic cooperation expansion, integration on the European continent," "initiating a geopolitical standoff with Russia" instead.

However, the Russian leader expects a gradual recovery of relations with the EU. "I would like to express hope that all actions inflicting damage to our relations will nevertheless remain in the past.

“We will do everything to build them in a proper way for Russia and for economies of member states of this organization. We hope nevertheless that the logic of mutual cooperation will prevail over time," the president concluded.