MOSCOW • Russian President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday that the U.S. and its allies have ignored Russia’s top security demands but added that Moscow remains open to more talks with the West on easing soaring tensions over Ukraine.

Putin argued that it’s possible to negotiate an end to the standoff if interests of all parties, including Russia’s security concerns, are taken into account.

“I hope that we will eventually find a solution, although we realize that it’s not going to be easy,” Putin said amid a continuing buildup of an estimated 100,000 Russian troops near Ukraine that fueled Western fear of an invasion.

Russia has denied having an intention to attack its neighbor, but talks between Russia and the West have so far failed to yield any progress.

Washington and its allies have rejected Moscow’s demand for a halt to NATO’s expansion to Ukraine and other ex-Soviet nations, a freeze on the deployment of weapons there and a rollback of alliance forces from Eastern Europe, describing them as nonstarters. They emphasized that Ukraine, like any other nation, has the right to choose alliances.

The Russian leader countered that argument by noting that the Western allies’ refusal to meet Russia’s demands violates their obligations on integrity of security for all nations. He warned that Ukraine’s accession to NATO could lead to a situation where Ukrainian authorities launch a military action to reclaim control over Crimea or areas controlled by Russia-backed separatists in the country’s east.

“Imagine that Ukraine becomes a NATO member and launches those military operations,” Putin said. “Should we fight NATO then? Has anyone thought about it?”

Russia annexed Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula in 2014 later threw its weight behind rebels, triggering a conflict that has killed over 14,000.

Russian President Vladimir Putin gestures while speaking Tuesday during a joint news conference in Moscow.

the associated press