HARBIN, May 17. /TASS/. The current Kiev regime exists only because of a coup d’etat, Russian President Vladimir Putin told reporters.

"All current authorities in Kiev stem from a coup d’etat. That is the source of the current regime in Ukraine," he emphasized.

The Russian leader blamed Kiev’s sponsors in the West for organizing this coup, saying they escalated it into an armed conflict. "That was their fault. They are now trying to <…> shift the blame onto Russia for the tragic events of today. This is a result of the policy they have been pursuing," he concluded.