Russia does not consider itself responsible for the loss of life during the special military operation because it did not start the war, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at the “Results of the Year” event.

Axar.az informs an NBC journalist asked the Russian leader whether Moscow would consider itself responsible for the deaths of Ukrainians and Russians in 2026 if it were to reject a peace plan proposed by US President Donald Trump.

“We do not consider ourselves responsible for the loss of life because we did not start this war,” Putin said.

The president added that the conflict began after what he described as an unconstitutional armed coup in Ukraine in 2014, followed by the start of hostilities by the Kyiv authorities against their own citizens in southeastern Ukraine.