Putin accuses Ukraine of ‘systematic’ human rights violations

The Russian president insisted that large-scale military exercises with Belarusian forces close to the Ukrainian border were “purely defensive” and did not represent a threat to any other country

Fri, 18 Feb, 2022 - 15:51

Gavin Cordon and David Lynch, PA

Vladimir Putin has accused Ukraine of “systematic” human rights violations against the country’s Russian-speaking population as Moscow ratcheted up the pressure in its stand-off with the West.

The Russian president insisted that large-scale military exercises with Belarusian forces close to the Ukrainian border were “purely defensive” and did not represent a threat to any other country.