Secretary of the Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) Oleksandr Turchynov has said he is confident that the Russian-Belarusian command and staff exercises Zapad 2017 demonstrate the readiness of Russian President Vladimir Putin for a war.

"The last stage of the exercises was devoted to testing the combat readiness of the nuclear triad - air, land and sea components were worked out. Therefore, Putin is demonstrating his readiness to conduct a powerful continental war," the council's press service quoted Turchynov as saying at a meeting with a delegation of the Canadian parliament headed by Chair of the Standing Committee on National Defense Stephen Fuhr on Monday, September 25.

The sides also discussed the situation in eastern Ukraine, the build-up of the Russian military potential in Crimea, and Russia's dominance in the Black Sea basin.