MINSK, December 6. /TASS/. The West continues escalating the situation in Ukraine, pushing the world toward a global conflict, Russian President Vladimir Putin said.

"Of special concern, naturally, is the situation in the European region, in particular, in Ukraine. Western countries are deliberately escalating tensions - it is they who bear responsibility for the tragedy we see today, and they only continue to aggravate the situation," Putin said at a meeting of the Supreme State Council of the Union State of Russia and Belarus.

"This irresponsible policy is driving the world to the brink of a global conflict," he stressed.

"We know the position of Belarus and its president [Alexander Lukashenko], which is to settle this crisis peacefully," he said. "We have talked about this time and again and, naturally, while exchanging views today, we paid due attention to this issue."