Putin: USA deceived Russia 'grossly and brazenly' about Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin said in an interview for Vladimir Solovyov's documentary "World Order 2018" that the United States "grossly and brazenly" deceived Russia before the coup in Ukraine.

"American partners asked us to do everything possible - and I am saying it nearly word for word here - to stop Yanukovych from using the army, to make the opposition leave squares and administrative buildings and proceed to the implementation of the agreements to normalise the situation," Putin said, RIA Novosti reports.

Russia agreed, Putin said, but the coup occurred in Ukraine the following day. The US authorities did not say a word about the fact that the events in Ukraine were developing in a different way. Moreover, the Americans supported the coup, Putin said.

Vladimir Putin stressed that it was Washington that made the coup happen, and the USA had to support the Kiev authorities.

"So grossly and brazenly, perhaps, it was a first (time. - ed.). They told us: "Let's do it this way," but in fact they did everything their own way and did not even bother to say anything about that. I think we've never had this before," Putin concluded.

Speaking about the annexation of the Crimea, Putin said that someone deliberately brought Russia to that line.

"I sometimes think, and I think that there are certain grounds for this, that someone deliberately took us to the line, on which we had to act the way we acted. Of course, there were few of those, who expected us to  act so quickly, so resolutely, if not brazenly," Putin said.

Crimea became a Russian region after the referendum that was held there in March 2014, at which the majority of Crimean residents voted for reunification with Russia.

Pravda.Ru