". ▁After ▁the ▁Russian ▁an nex ion ▁of ▁Crime a , ▁he ▁said ▁that ▁Ukraine ▁includes ▁" reg ions ▁of ▁Russia ' s ▁historic ▁south " ▁and ▁" was ▁created ▁on ▁a ▁wh im ▁by ▁the ▁B ols he vik s ". ▁He ▁went ▁on ▁to ▁declare ▁that ▁the ▁February ▁ 2 0 1 4 ▁ou st ing ▁of ▁Ukrain ian ▁President ▁Vik tor ▁Yan uk ov ych ▁had ▁been ▁orch estr ated ▁by ▁the ▁West ▁as ▁an ▁attempt ▁to ▁weak en ▁Russia . ▁" O ur ▁Western ▁partners ▁have ▁crossed ▁a ▁line . ▁They ▁behav ed ▁rud ely , ▁ir respons ibly ▁and ▁un prof ession ally ," ▁he ▁said , ▁adding ▁that ▁the ▁people ▁who ▁had ▁come ▁to ▁power ▁in ▁Ukraine ▁were ▁" n ational ists , ▁ne o - N az is , ▁Russ oph ob es ▁and ▁anti - Sem ites ". ▁In ▁a ▁July ▁ 2 0 1 4 ▁speech ▁midst ▁an ▁armed ▁ins ur gency ▁in ▁Eastern ▁Ukraine , ▁Put in ▁stated ▁he ▁would ▁use ▁Russia ' s ▁" ent ire ▁ar sen al " ▁and ▁" the ▁right ▁of ▁self ▁defence " ▁to ▁protect ▁Russian ▁speak ers ▁outside ▁Russia . ▁With ▁the ▁split ▁of ▁the ▁Ukrain ian ▁orth odox ▁church ▁from ▁the ▁Russian ▁one ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 8 , ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁exper ts ▁came ▁to ▁the ▁conclusion ▁that ▁Put in ' s ▁policy ▁of ▁force ful ▁eng agement ▁in ▁post - S ov iet ▁republic s ▁significantly ▁back f ired ▁on ▁him ,