Putin: "What's happening in Ukraine is a tragedy, but we had no other choice"

"What's happening in Ukraine is a tragedy, but we had no other choice," Russian President Vladimir Putin told a briefing after a meeting with his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko, Report says.

Expressing gratitude to the Russian servicemen fighting in Ukraine, the Russian head of state stressed that they are supporting Russia.

Russia annexed the Autonomous Republic of Crimea in February 2014. After that, it launched military operations in the Donbas region of Ukraine. As a result, most of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions came under separatist control. Fighting broke out between the Ukrainian Armed Forces and militants from the Russian-backed Donetsk and Luhansk republics. Moscow has denied involvement in the fighting.

Starting from the end of 2020, relations between Ukraine and Russia strained even further, and ceasefire violations on the line of contact in the Donbas became regular. Ukraine's allies, led by the United States, have said they will not intervene directly in the conflict, even if they help Kyiv militarily and financially.

In his address to the nation on February 21, 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Ukraine recognized the two so-called republics created in the Donbas region. He signed a decree in this regard.

On February 24, 2022, the Russian Armed Forces attacked the country from the east, south (Crimea), and north (Belarus) in order to ensure the "denazification and demilitarization" of Ukraine, as well as the "territorial integrity" of Donetsk and Luhansk republics. In the so-called "special military operation" Russia has so far occupied a number of Ukrainian cities, including Kherson and Melitopol. Thousands of civilians were killed and millions were displaced. From the first days of the war, the West has slapped the toughest economic sanctions on Russia. As a result, the country's national currency, the ruble, is losing its value. For the first time, these sanctions have also affected the humanitarian sphere.

In addition, the International Criminal Court (The Hague) has launched an investigation into crimes against humanity in connection with Russia's aggression against Ukraine.

The absolute majority of the UN members, including Azerbaijan, recognize the Crimean Peninsula and the Donbas as Ukrainian territory.