Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that Russia has just begun the war in Ukraine while the West tries to defeat it on the battlefield.

He insisted that Moscow was still open to the idea of ​​peace talks.

"Recently, statements have been heard in the West that Russia must be defeated on the battlefield in Donbas - let them prove it," he said at a meeting with the leadership of the State Duma and faction leaders.

"Today we hear that they want to defeat us on the battlefield.

What can I say, let them try it.

We have already heard many times that the West wants to go to war with us to the last Ukrainian.

It is a tragedy for the Ukrainian people, but, it seems, everything is going in that direction.

Everyone should know that we haven't started anything serious yet.

At the same time, we do not reject peace negotiations.

But those who refuse should know that over time, it will be more difficult for them to negotiate with us," said the Russian leader,

reports .

He emphasized that the war in Ukraine was initiated by the West, "they tell us that we started the war in Donbas, in Ukraine.

No, it was the collective West that started it, organizing and supporting the 2014 anti-constitutional armed coup in Ukraine, and then encouraging and justifying the genocide of the people in Donbas.

The same collective God is the direct instigator, the culprit of what is happening today."

According to Putin, Western countries do not need Russia as a state, "for this reason they supported separatism, terrorism, destructive internal forces and the fifth column in Russia".

"All of them received and continue to receive the unconditional support of that collective West", he emphasized.

Otherwise, Russia has continued today with attacks on the Ukrainian state, causing material damage.