Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that the West would not succeed in what he called its attempt to achieve global dominance and dismember Russia.

"If the West thinks that Russia will step back, it does not understand Russia," Putin said in a meeting on socioeconomic support for the constituent entities of Russia.

Putin said that the threat of the creation of nuclear weapons by Ukraine was real and Western patrons are pushing Kyiv to bloodshed by supplying weapons and mercenaries.

"Behind the hypocritical talk and today's actions of the so-called collective West are hostile geopolitical goals. They just don't want a strong and sovereign Russia," Putin said.

He said Russia was ready to discuss Ukraine's neutral status in talks aimed at ending hostilities, but it would still meet the objectives of its military operation, which was "going to plan."

Putin said anti-Russian sanctions are hitting the Americans and Europeans, and claimed that keeping Russia in check was a long-term policy of the West, and that its economic sanctions against Russia were short-sighted.

He also urged Westerners not to believe claims of Russia's alleged hostility, saying these are all lies.

"They are now persistently trying to convince you that all your difficulties are the result of some kind of hostile actions of Russia, that you have to pay for the fight against the mythical Russian threat from your own wallet. All this is a lie."

(With input from Reuters)

(Cover: Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting with government members via a video link in Moscow, Russia, March 10, 2022./ Reuters)