On Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin accused the West of crafting a situation to entice Russia into conflict while disregarding Russia's security concerns over Ukraine.

Putin, in his first direct public comments on the issue in over six weeks, showed no hint of backing down from security demands that the West has dismissed as non-starters and a possible pretext for an invasion, which Moscow rejects.

"It's already clear now ... that fundamental Russian concerns were ignored,"  Putin said during a press conference with Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban, one of many NATO leaders attempting to intervene in the dispute.

Putin outlined a hypothetical scenario in which Ukraine was admitted to NATO and subsequently tried to reclaim the Crimea peninsula, which Russia had annexed in 2014.

"Assume Ukraine is a NATO member when these military operations begin. Is it planned for us to go to war with the NATO alliance? Has anyone considered that possibility? Not at all, it appears "he stated

Russia has amassed over 100,000 troops on the Ukrainian border, prompting fears that Putin is contemplating an invasion.

Russia disputes this but has stated that until its security needs are satisfied, it may take unspecified military action. Any invasion, according to Western countries, would result in sanctions against Moscow.

Putin had not spoken publicly on the Ukraine crisis since December 23, creating mystery regarding his personal views despite several rounds of meetings between Russian and Western diplomats.

His Tuesday words mirrored a worldview in which Russia must protect itself against an aggressive and hostile US. According to Putin, Washington is more interested in limiting Russia than in the security of Ukraine.

"In this sense, Ukraine itself is just an instrument to achieve this goal," he said.

"This can be done in different ways, by drawing us into some kind of armed conflict and, with the help of their allies in Europe, forcing the introduction against us of those harsh sanctions they are talking about now in the U.S."