President Vladimir Putin complained on Friday about what he called the West's support for 'a coup d'etat' in Ukraine in 2014 during which the country's pro-Moscow president fled.

"Why support a coup d'etat in Ukraine? ... It is likely that the opposition, which is currently in power, would have come to power by democratic means," Putin said at a question and answer session during the St Petersburg International Economic Forum.

He said the way power had changed hands had led to bloodshed and had frightened the Russian-speaking population in Crimea and south-eastern Ukraine.