Vladimir Putin said the U.S. and NATO have 'ignored' the Kremlin's concerns in recent correspondence as the Russian president made his first direct comments on the Ukraine crisis since December.

'We are carefully analyzing the written responses received from the United States and NATO,' Putin said Tuesday during a press conference with Hungary Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

'But it is already clear that fundamental Russian concerns ended up being ignored,' he lamented. 'We did not see adequate consideration of our three key demands regarding the prevention of NATO expansion, the refusal to deploy strike facilities near Russia's borders, and the return of the bloc's military infrastructure in Europe to the state in 1997.'

'When ignoring our concerns, the U.S. and NATO point to the right of states to freely choose how to ensure their security,' Putin added.

Russia's Foreign Ministry released on Tuesday Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's letter to his counterparts in the U.S., Canada and other NATO ally nations. The message claimed that the January response to their demands sent in the month prior were inadequate, including the refusal to adhere to banned Ukraine from entering the NATO military alliance.

'The U.S. and NATO responses to our proposals received on 26 January 2022 demonstrate serious differences in the understanding of the principle of equal and indivisible security that is fundamental to the entire European security architecture,' the letter reads. 'We believe it is necessary to immediately clarify this issue, as it will determine the prospects for future dialogue.'

The response was likely released to counter reports indicating Moscow responded to the U.S. proposals for deescalation with Ukraine.