Vladimir Putin said Thursday that Russia had “no choice” but to invade Ukraine.

Speaking with domestic business leaders Thursday, the Russian president defended the invasion of Ukraine, arguing that the country had no other options and was forced by circumstance to launch the military operation.

“What was happening left us with no choice,” Putin said. “We had no other way of proceeding.”

"We all understand the world we live in and were prepared in one way or another for what is now happening from the point of view of sanctions policy," Putin continued. "Russia remains a part of the global economy."

"We are not going to damage the world economic system which we are part of.”

Alluding to plans by Western powers to impose tough sanctions on Russia, Putin said: "It seems to me that our partners should understand this and not set themselves the task of pushing us out of this system.”