Russian President Putin: 'We are not the aggressor'

Russian President Vladimir Putin has accused the West of being responsible for the deterioration of relations with Moscow.

Russia has been hit by Western sanctions, put in place after President Putin annexed Crimea from Ukraine in March. The Kremlin continues to deny claims that Russian troops have been sent to fight with separatist rebels in eastern Ukraine,

Answering a question from the BBC's John Simpson at his end-of-year news conference, Mr Putin said the West was the aggressor, not Russia.