Ukraine denies Putin's claim about war preparation

Ukraine on Thursday firmly denied suggestions by Russian President Vladimir Putin that it was preparing an offensive against rebels in the east to reunite the country.

The comments came after Putin claimed that Western expressions of concern about an alleged Russian invasion could be a prelude to a possible attempt by Ukraine to launch an offensive against the rebels, following two botched attempts in the past.

He argued that Western weapons could encourage hawkish forces in Ukraine to attempt to regain control over Russia-backed separatist regions by force and even try to reclaim Crimea, which Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014.