"In their effort to weaken our country and deliver a strategic defeat, the US continues to supply the regime in Kiev that is in fact illegitimate with weapons and money, while sending mercenaries and military advisers, thereby encouraging further escalation of the conflict," Putin said at an expanded meeting of the of the board of the Russian Defense Ministry.
The US scares its population with statements that Russia allegedly plans to attack someone, Putin added.
"After all, the tactics are very simple: they push us to the red line, beyond which we can no longer retreat. When we start to respond, they immediately frighten their population with the Soviet threat back in the day, and now with the Russian threat," Putin said.
Western countries have ramped up their military and financial aid to Kiev since the start of Russia's military operation in Ukraine in February 2022. Russia has repeatedly said that arms supplies to Ukraine hinder the conflict settlement and directly involve NATO countries in the conflict.