MOSCOW, March 19. /TASS/. President Vladimir Putin believes that Russia could not turn cold shoulders on the Crimeans in 2014 as they were confronted by nationalists.

"We simply could not turn cold shoulder on the Crimeans particularly because they were already confronted by nationalists," the president said in an interview for the "Moscow. Kremlin. Putin" program on Rossiya-1 TV channel published by journalist Pavel Zarubin on his Telegram channel on Sunday.

Russia does not use hypersonic weapons in fact now, though it has them, same as other cutting-edge systems, Putin noted.

"Indeed, we have to do much, let’s say, for the development of land forces, but back then [in 2014] there were no hypersonic weapons, though they exist now! Yes, we do not use them in fact, but we have them. Do you understand? There are other cutting-edge systems as well, though in 2014 there was nothing of the kind," the Russian leader said.

Asked whether it was worth starting the special operation in 2014, he stressed that the reality has changed since then: "Conjunctive mood cannot be used here!".