Moscow, 21 February 2023 (dpa/MIA) - Shortly before the first anniversary of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine he ordered, Russian President Vladimir Putin has blamed the West for the war during his highly anticipated State of the Nation address.

"They started the war," Putin said on Tuesday, referring to Western states at the beginning of his speech. Russia was merely trying to stop the fighting, the Russian leader claimed in his address to representatives of the Federal Assembly state legislature.

The Federal Assembly is composed of the lower house, the State Duma, and the upper house, the Federation Council. They came together at the Gostiny Dvor event centre in Moscow to hear Putin speak.

Once again, Putin said that a "neo-Nazi regime" was in power in Ukraine. The "special military operation," as Moscow calls the war, will continue, he said.

"Step by step, carefully and consistently, we will solve the tasks ahead of us," the 70-year-old leader said.

Friday will mark one year since Russia officially launched its full-scale war against Ukraine.

Putin's appearance was his 18th State of the Nation address to date. The previous one was almost two years ago and took place in April 2021. There was none last year, which Putin had explained due to a very high "dynamics of events."