Western Countries Openly Say They Are Preparing for War With Russia – Putin

Western countries are now openly saying that they are preparing for war with Russia, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday.

The current international situation is far from stable, the president said, adding that the armed confrontation in the Middle East continues unabated, and the potential for conflict has increased significantly in a number of regions of the world, including in Eurasia.

"We see that if earlier the NATO countries limited themselves to supporting the Kiev regime, which came to power illegally by armed means with the help of a coup d'etat, now they openly say in the West that they are preparing for war with us, increasing military offensive budgets," Putin said at a meeting with graduates of higher military schools.