MOSCOW, February 15. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin accused Western leaders of twisting and distorting his remarks about reasons behind Russia’s special operation, made during an interview to US journalist Tucker Carlson.

"They are distorting my words, and this is bad. And they tamper with maps. Why? I have never said anything like that. I have never said that the beginning of our special operation in Ukraine was due to the threat of NATO’s attack on Russia. Where exactly did I say that in my interview. It was recorded, so let them show where exactly did I say that," Putin said in an interview to Rossiya-1 journalist Pavel Zarubin.

Putin underscored that he was "talking about a different issue."

"I was saying is that we were constantly being deceived on the subject of NATO’s non-enlargement to the east," the Russian leader added.