Putin says confrontation with Ukraine's 'Nazis' was inevitable in propaganda speech

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday (November 4) that Russia's confrontation with the "neo-Nazi regime" in Kyiv was inevitable.

"If we hadn't acted in February, then everything would have been the same but even worst for us," Putin said in a justification for launching what Moscow casts as a "special military operation" on February 24, when it sent thousands of troops into neighbouring Ukraine.

The Russian president accused Western countries of "interfering in Ukraine's affairs both directly and covertly" in the last decade and of instilling "pseudo-values" into the minds of millions of Ukrainians.

He also said efforts were also "continuing to weaken, decimate and destroy Russia", but that he would not allow that to happen: "We will defend our fatherland, just as our heroic ancestors did."

Putin was taking part in a discussion on Russian and global history with religious and political figures on Russia's Unity Day.