MOSCOW, January 1. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin is sure that the West has been helping the Kiev regime for a long time to fight Russia with Ukrainians’ hands throughout the current conflict.

"They (Western elites - TASS) have been supporting the Kiev regime long enough precisely to trigger this conflict," Putin said at a meeting with military personnel at the Vishnevsky hospital Moscow.

"Unfortunately for us, they have achieved this. They created this conflict and now are trying to address this task, namely the task of fighting Russia, with the hands of Ukrainians," Putin pointed out.