Russia's President Vladimir Putin did not mention Ukraine during his key address at the Eastern Economic Forum's (EEF) plenary session on Wednesday.
After Putin wrapped up his opening speech, a moderator asked the president why he hadn't referred to Russia's south-western neighbor in his address.
"Does this country belong to the Asia-Pacific region? In my opinion, no," Putin responded.
"We are discussing issues here primarily in this region, we are in Russia's Far East," the president added, adding that he was happy to answer questions about Ukraine.
The seventh Eastern Economic Forum has been running since Monday, 5 September and will end on Thursday, 8 September in the Russian port city of Vladivostok, on the Far Eastern Federal University campus. The theme of this year's forum is a 'Path to a Multipolar World'.
On 24 February, Russia launched a military operation in Ukraine after the Donetsk and Lugansk people's republics requested help to defend them from intensifying attacks by Ukrainian forces. The US and its allies have responded by imposing a number of sanctions against Russia, with the European Union pledging to end its dependence on Russian energy supplies. The sanctions have resulted in disruptions of supply chains and a spike in commodity prices worldwide.