MOSCOW, December 14. /TASS/. The West's desire to creep up on Russia’s borders and make Ukraine part of NATO precipitated the Ukrainian conflict, President Vladimir Putin said at the combined Direct Line Q&A session and year-end press conference.

"In 2014, three European foreign ministers - Polish, German and French - arrived, signing up as guarantors of agreements between the government - President [of Ukraine Viktor] Yanukovych and the opposition, agreed that everything would be resolved peacefully. Two days later they staged a coup. Why? Why not go to the elections and win? No. To finish the job, to stir up a conflict, that's why. Who did it? Our American pals, while the Europeans, who signed up to be the guarantors of the agreements between the government and the opposition, just played dumb," Putin said. "And now ask Europe, does anyone remember this? No. But we have not forgotten and we will not forget.

"All this, plus the obsessive desire to sneak up on our borders, taking Ukraine into NATO as well - all this has led to this tragedy," he said. "And what's more, the bloody events in Donbass for eight years. All this resulted in the tragedy that we are going through now," Putin added.

Russia was forced into the special military operation, he pointed out. "They forced us to take these actions," Putin emphasized.