Tense situation in Crimea linked to possible use of Russian troops gone - Putin
4 March 2014, 16:24
The tense situation in Crimea, in which the use of the armed forces was possible, is gone, Russian President Vladimir Putin said. "The tense situation in Crimea with the possible use of the armed forces has simply expired. There was no such need," Putin told reporters in Novo-Ogaryovo on Tuesday. Putin called the media's attention to the fact that not a single shot had been fired in Crimea and there have been no casualties. "What happened there was people came, blocked armed units and agreed on their obedience to the demands and the will of people populating that territory," Putin stressed.
"The only necessity that existed and the only thing that we did was to reinforce the security of our military facilities, which had been constantly threatened. We saw that militants from nationalist organizations had started coming to Crimea," Putin said.
"We did that and we did that correctly and in due time," the Russian president stressed.
Russia does not consider annexing Crimea to its territory - Putin
The tense situation in Crimea, in which the use of the armed forces was possible, is gone, Russian President Vladimir Putin said. "The tense situation in Crimea with the possible use of the armed forces has simply expired. There was no such need," Putin told reporters in Novo-Ogaryovo on Tuesday.
Russia will extend financial assistance to Ukraine's Autonomous Republic of Crimea, Russian President Vladimir Putin has said. "We have made a decision to arrange Russian regions' work in order to provide certain assistance to Crimea, which has sought our humanitarian support," Putin said at a meeting with journalists on Tuesday.
"I cannot tell you how much [aid money will be provided], when and from what sources. The government is tackling these issues by promoting ties between our border regions and Crimea and possibly extending additional support to our regions in order to enable them to support the residents of Crimea. We are certainly taking these steps," he said.
West turned political life in Ukraine into farce - Putin
The West has turned political life in Ukraine into a farce, President Vladimir Putin told reporters in Novo-Ogaryovo on Tuesday. "I sometimes get the impression that a laboratory, located over there, across a big pool, somewhere in America, is running experiments on rats of a sort, unaware of the consequences of what they are doing," Putin said. "Why should all this have been done? Who can explain? There are no explanations whatsoever," Putin said.
Russia ready for new tranches of financial aid to Ukraine, but West asks us not to do so - Putin
Russia is ready to disburse new tranches of financial aid to Ukraine, but its western partners are asking it not to do so for now, Russian President Vladimir Putin told reporters.
"By and large we are ready to look at further steps to provide other tranches and to buy an additional bond issue, but our western partners are asking us not to do so. They are asking us about working together in the framework of the IMF in order to get the Ukrainian government, the Ukrainian authorities to conduct the reforms needed to revive the economy," he said.
He said the government was "looking at various options" due to the fact that "Naftogaz Ukrainy is not paying Gazprom."
Russia does not recognize presidential elections in Ukraine if they are conducted under terror - Putin
Russia may recognize outcomes of Ukrainian presidential elections if the vote of Ukrainian citizens is free and there is no terror, Russian President Vladimir Putin said. Journalists asked Putin whether Russia might acknowledge results of Ukrainian presidential elections. "That depends on the way in which they are held. If they are held against the backdrop of terror that we are now witnessing in Kiev, then we won't recognize them," he said.
Russia ready to cooperate even with incumbent Ukrainian authorities
Moscow is ready to cooperate even with the incumbent Ukrainian authorities it considers illegal, Russian President Vladimir Putin said. "By the way, we are exhibiting patience and readiness for certain cooperation even under such circumstances. We do not want to discontinue cooperation and I instructed the government several days ago to think about ways to carry on contacts even with those Kiev authorities that we consider illegal with the purpose of preserving contacts in the economy and industries," Putin told reporters on Tuesday.
"We think that our actions are quite grounded and any threats towards Russia are counterproductive and harmful," the Russian president stressed.
If Russia decides to use armed forces in Ukraine it will fully comply with int'l law - Putin
President Vladimir Putin said a decision to use military force in Ukraine, if made, will fully comply with international law. "Even of we make the decision, if I make the decision to use military force, it will be legitimate," Putin told reporters on Tuesday.
He said this decision will fully comply with "the general norms of international law, since we have received a request from the legitimate president."
The decision will also match Russia's obligations, Putin said.
"In this case it will coincide with our interests to defend the people we consider linked with us historically, in the sense that we have common culture and strong economic ties," the Russian president said.
Current authorities in Kiev do not hold nationwide mandate to determine Ukraine's future - Putin
The incumbent Ukrainian authorities do not have the national mandate to conduct the country's economic and foreign policy, Russian President Vladimir Putin said. "We think that all citizens of Ukraine, irrespective of their place of residence, must enjoy equal rights to partake in the country's life and to decide the future of this country," Putin told reporters on Tuesday.
"If I were those who consider themselves the [Ukrainian] legitimate authorities, I would have hurried up with the related procedures," Putin said. "They do not have the national mandate to conduct domestic, foreign and economic policy, [nor do they have the mandate] to decide the future of Ukraine," he said.
Changes in former Soviet republics should happen in accordance with constitutions - Putin
Russian President Vladimir Putin said that changes in former Soviet republics should take place strictly in accordance with their constitutions. "In the former Soviet republics, where the politics are very fragile and the economies are very weak, one has to strictly follow the constitution," Putin told reporters on Tuesday. Going beyond constitutional norms "will always be a big mistake," he said.
Russia reserves right to use 'all means' to protect citizens in Ukraine - Putin
Russia will use all the means available if the turmoil in Kyiv and in western Ukraine spreads over to the east of the country and Crimea. "If we see that this mayhem is reaching the eastern regions, if people turn to us for help - we have a relevant request already from Ukraine's legitimate president [Viktor Yanukovych] - we reserve the right to use all the means available to us to defend these citizens," Putin told reporters.
There is no reason for military actions in Ukraine at the moment - Putin
Russian President Vladimir Putin said there is currently no need to send Russian troops to Ukraine. "As to the sending of troops, there is currently no such need," Putin told reporters. "However, there is such a possibility," he said. ussian forces may be used in Ukraine under extreme circumstances only, Russian President Vladimir Putin told reporters in Novo-Ogaryovo on Tuesday. "What can be the justification for using the armed forces? Certainly, extreme circumstances," he said.
"We are not going to go to war with Ukrainian people. If we make this decision we will make it in order to protect Ukrainian people. How can army shoot at innocent people?" Vladimir Putin said.
Power in Ukraine was seized by arms - Putin
Ukraine has seen an anti-constitutional coup and a power grab, Russian President Vladimir Putin told reporters on Tuesday. "The opinion is about what has happened in Kyiv and in Ukraine as a whole. There can be only one opinion - this is an anti-constitutional coup and a power grab," Putin said.
Ukraine revolt 'an anti-constitutional coup and armed seizure of power' – Putin
Russian President Vladimir Putin has called the revolution in Ukraine "an anti-constitutional coup and an armed seizure of power."
"There's no denying it. The question is why it has been done," he added.
"Are the current authorities legitimate? Parliament partially yes. The rest are not. From the legal point of view it’s Yanukovych who is the legal president, said Vladimir Putin. "The main thing is to give people the right to decide their fate."
Yanukovych is legitimate president of Ukraine, although he has no power - Putin
Russian President Vladimir Putin believes that Viktor Yanukovych remains the one-and-only legitimate president of Ukraine, although he has effectively lost any real power in the country.
"Clearly, he has no power, but I have already said and want to say it once again that, unconditionally, Yanukovych alone is the legitimate president from a judicial standpoint," Putin said at a meeting with journalists in Novo-Ogaryovo on Tuesday.
"The legitimate president, purely legally, is undoubtedly Yanukovych," Putin said.
We only helped Yanukovych for humanitarian reasons - Putin
Russian President Vladimir Putin says he only helped his Ukrainian counterpart Viktor Yanukovych for "humanitarian reasons." Yanukovych has "no future in politics," Putin says of the since impeached president. "We only did this over humanitarian considerations ... because death is the simplest way to get rid of the legitimate president. I think they would have killed him if he was there." When asked about the charges against Yanukovych that he gave orders to shoot at protesters, Putin says: "It's difficult to say who did what. Yanukovych told me he never gave those orders." "I can tell you more," Putin says. "... When Yanukovych said he was removing the riot police, I told him you will have anarchy and chaos in Kiev. And after he did that, chaos broke out, like I warned him."
Russian, Ukrainian military will be on one side of barricades - Putin
Russian President Vladimir Putin said the Russian and Ukrainian military will not engage in a confrontation and will be on the same side. "I am confident that the Ukrainian military and the Russian military will not be on different sides of the barricades, they will be on the same side of the barricades," Putin told reporters on Tuesday.
Ukrainian opposition's moves stupid - Putin
By scrapping the 21 February accords, the Ukrainian opposition has yielded an opposite result, shaking the situation, said President Vladimir Putin. "They wanted to humiliate their opponents and demonstrate force. This is stupid, in my opinion. The result was the opposite of expectations. They have only managed to shake the east and southeast of the country," Putin told reporters.
Ukrainian people wanted change, but 'illegal change' cannot be encouraged - Putin
Ukrainian people wanted change, but 'illegal change' cannot be encouraged, Russia's President Vladimir Putin said.
Revocation of Ambassador from Washington is extreme measure, but we will use it if needed - Putin
Russia will recall its ambassador from the United States only in the worst case scenario. "It would be an extreme measure. But it will be used if it becomes necessary," Putin told reporters in Novo-Ogaryovo. "This is something that I strongly oppose" he said.
Russia ready to hold G8 summit, cannot force its partners do participate - Putin
Russia is ready to hold a G8 summit in Sochi but it cannot force its partners to do so against their will, Russian President Vladimir Putin told reporters on Tuesday. "Concerning the G8, I do not know. We are preparing for the G8 [summit] and will be ready to welcome our colleagues, but if they do not want to come, they do not have to," he said.
Voice of Russia, Interfax
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