Putin accuses USA of orchestrating Ukrainian coup in 2014

The Ukrainian coup, which caused the country to fall apart, was organized by the United States, Russian President Vladimir Putin wrote in his article for German publication Die Zeit.

Putin's article under the headline Offen sein, trotz der Vergangenheit (Be open, despite the past) was devoted to the 80th anniversary since beginning of the Great Patriotic War.

"Whoever may try to rewrite the pages of the past now, the truth is that the Soviet soldier came to the German land not to take revenge on the Germans, but with a noble and great mission of the liberator,” Putin wrote.

Reflecting on the roots of the coup in Ukraine, Putin asked himself why Europe supported the United States in its efforts to topple the Ukrainian president in 2014.

"Why did the United States organize a coup, and European countries weakly supported it, having thus triggered the split of Ukraine and the secession of Crimea?" Putin wrote.

According to the Russian president, Europe actively supported the "anti-constitutional armed coup in Ukraine."

"That's what started it. Why did they need to do it? Then-President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych had already agreed with all the terms of the opposition,” Putin continued.

In the article, Vladimir Putin also wrote that after the Great Patriotic War many countries faced NATO's ultimatum. They had to choose whether to be with the West or with Russia. However, the prosperity of Europe can be possible only if it is based on the joint efforts of all countries, including Russia.

Putin wrote the article for the German publication in Russian, even though the Russian president is fluent in German.