Putin: Intervention in Ukraine would be "humanitarian"

Putin: Intervention in Ukraine would be "humanitarian"

Yanukovych, according to him, is still the legitimate president of Ukraine, but now has no power, Reuters reported.

The Ukrainian people wanted a change, but "illegal change" should not be encouraged, noted Putin.

He said that Russia would provide financial support to the Ukrainian region of Crimea, and added that he "hopes he will not have to use force in Ukraine."

Putin recalled that the wars in Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya were examples of illegal actions, considering UN Security Council resolutions.

He pointed out that no attempt to annex the Ukrainian region of Crimea to Russia was being made. "I'm not worried that a war will break out, we will not attack Ukraine," he said, adding that Yanukovych called on Russia to use military force to defend Ukrainians, but that Moscow believed military engagement is possible only in "exceptional" cases.

Russia might deploy its armed forces in Ukraine on a legitimate basis and in an extreme case only, but it is unnecessary yet, President Putin was quoted as saying by Itar-Tass.

According to the news agency, he also said that "the possibility of sending troops to Ukraine remains, but there is no such need for the time being."

"If the decision to use military force in Ukraine is made, it will be legitimate. Russia's national interests are concerned, and it would be a humanitarian action," Putin said, and added that these of Russian troops in Ukraine would be "the last resort to be employed only on legitimate basis. If rampage begins in eastern regions of Ukraine, Russia will reserve the right to use all available means."

Russia "reinforced protection of country’s military facilities in Crimea," the president confirmed:

“We have reinforced protection of our military facilities, because we were receiving threats and saw that gunmen from terrorist organizations were coming."

Asked which armed forces were in Crimea, considering that their uniforms are "very similar" to Russian, Putin said that those were not Russian forces, but forces of "self-defense." He also denied that Russia helped train them.

Putin also told reporters that he gave orders to the government "to retain ties with the new Ukrainian authorities."

Itar-Tass also quoted him as saying that Russia's natural gas and oil giant Gazprom "will not restore old gas prices for Ukraine - it discontinues current quarterly discounts."

"If Ukrainian partners do not pay for gas in February, Ukraine's debt to Gazprom will reach USD2 billion," Putin noted during the press conference held at his countryside residence near Moscow.

As for the threats of sanctions against his country coming from the United States and the EU, the Russian leader said that the consequences of such actions would be "multilateral."