Russian President Vladimir Putin made his first public statements on the situation at the Ukraine-Russia border in over a month Tuesday, accusing the U.S. and its allies of ratcheting up tensions and ignoring Russian security demands, including halting NATO’s expansion to Ukraine and other former Soviet countries.

President Vladimir Putin: “I believe that the U.S., for example, does not care much about Ukraine’s safety, though they probably give it a thought in the background. But their main task is to contain Russia’s development. That is the problem. In this context, Ukraine is just a tool to reach this goal.”

Putin also accused the U.S. of withdrawing from the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty and deploying military equipment to Eastern European nations. He said, however, he is open to more talks to ease the ongoing tensions. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov spoke by phone again Tuesday. Meanwhile, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson traveled to Kyiv, where he held a news conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Johnson vowed to increase military aid and help defend Ukraine against any potential Russian aggression.