Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov lauded U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday for saying that previous U.S. support of Ukraine's bid to join the NATO military alliance was a major cause of the war in Ukraine.

Russia’s attempt to blame Ukraine, which Trump has now parroted, is part of a longstanding argument that doesn’t stand up to scrutiny.

Russian President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine three years ago has turned into Europe’s largest conflict since World War II.

The United States and Russia will appoint high-level teams to negotiate the end of the war in Ukraine and are working to reestablish diplomatic channels, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said at the end of key talks that excluded Kyiv.

Putin invaded on Feb. 24, 2022, after demanding that NATO abandon membership for Ukraine and pull back the alliance’s troops on NATO’s eastern flank -- actions rejected by the West.

When war broke out in the early hours of February 24 2022, the world was shocked, but not entirely surprised. Warnings of Russia’s attack on Ukraine had the advantage of preparing a united western front against Russia.

February 24 marks three years since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. What Russian President Vladimir Putin initially called a “special military operation” has since become Europe’s largest conflict since World War II.