Putin: U.S. wants to hamper Russia’s growth

Russian President Vladimir Putin believes that the U.S. seeks not to ensure the Ukrainian security but to hamper Russia’s growth.

"It seems to me that the U.S. is not so much concerned about the Ukrainian security, although maybe it thinks about this, but its main task is to hamper Russia’s development. That is the point," the head of state said at a press conference following talks with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

No one in the West has ever thought that if Ukraine is admitted to NATO and ventures an attack on Crimea, Russia will have to be at war with the alliance, Russian President Vladimir Putin said.

"[Crimea] is Russia’s sovereign territory. The matter is closed for us in this sense. Let us imagine that Ukraine is a NATO member and ventures such a combat operation. Are we supposed to be at war with NATO? Well, has anyone even given a thought to it? It looks like no one has," he said.

He once again stressed that Ukraine’s membership of NATO is unacceptable for Russia. "Listen to me carefully. Ukraine’s doctrinal documents say that they are planning to return Crimea, including by military means. It is not what they are saying in public but what is actually written in documents," Putin explained. "Let us imagine that Ukraine is a NATO member, stuffed with weapons and state-of-the-art missile systems like in Poland and Romania. Who will stop it from unleashing operations in Crimea, let alone Donbass.".