Tensions in Ukraine: Putin claims the US is attempting to drag Russia into a war | Hot News

President Vladimir Putin of Russia has accused the United States of attempting to drag his country into a conflict in Ukraine.

He claimed that America intended to exploit a confrontation to justify imposing further sanctions on Russia.

Mr. Putin also said that the US was ignoring Russia's worries over Nato's (the Western military alliance) expansion into Europe.

The US and its allies accuse Russia of plotting an invasion of Ukraine, something Russia has rejected numerous times.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken tweeted on Tuesday that the US was "determined to prevent a confrontation that benefits no one."

Meanwhile, El Pais, a Spanish daily, has published what it claims are private documents offered to Russia by the US and Nato last week, including offers of negotiations on nuclear disarmament and trust-building measures in exchange for easing tensions over Ukraine.