Putin: Russia Reserves Right for Force in Ukraine
Russia’s defense minister on Tuesday ordered soldiers involved in combat-preparedness drills across Russia to return to their bases, but the situation on the ground in Crimea remained tense. WSJ’s Greg White joins the News Hub with details. Photo: AP
MOSCOW—President
said Tuesday he didn’t see any immediate need to send troops further into Ukraine, but that Russia reserves the right to use force to protect its interests there.
In his first detailed comments since Russian soldiers entered the restive Ukrainian region of Crimea, Mr. Putin offered a full-throated defense of the use of force there, insisting that Russia was simply defending its military installations on the peninsula amid instability following the collapse of Ukraine’s government.
But sending troops further into the country didn’t seem necessary now, he said. “For the moment there is no need for that, but the possibility still exists,” he said. “On the whole, it seems to me that it’s stabilizing.”
Mr. Putin spoke in diametrically opposite terms to his Western counterparts about events in Ukraine. He called ousted President
Viktor Yanukovych
the country’s only legitimate leader and described the occupation of Crimea as a lawful security operation. He insisted that further use of Russian force would be in line with international law because the country’s rightful president, Mr. Yanukovych, had requested it. (Follow the latest news on Ukraine.)
“If we see that disorder starts in the eastern regions, if people ask us for help—we already have an official request from the serving legitimate president—then we reserve the right to use all means at our disposal to protect those citizens,” he said “We think that would be completely legitimate, but it would be an extreme step.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks about the situation in Ukraine during his meeting with journalists at the Novo-Ogaryovo presidential residence outside Moscow.
European Pressphoto Agency
His comments seemed to settle Russia’s currency and stock markets which had been in turmoil since military action began over the weekend. On Tuesday, Moscow’s main index gained 5% after plunging 11% the day before. The ruble also gained more than 1% against the dollar, fighting back from an all-time low on Monday.
Mr. Putin spoke to reporters as U.S. Secretary of State
touched down in Kyiv to meet with the leaders of the provisional government there to offer them support. The Obama administration has said it is prepared to enact financial sanctions on Russian leaders, companies and military officers if Russia doesn’t withdraw its forces, and has been encouraging leaders in Europe to follow suit.
But Mr. Putin brushed off the idea of sanctions.
“Those who are going to impose sanctions on Russia should think about their consequences,” he said. “I think in today’s world, where everything is interconnected and everyone is dependent on one another in this way or another, we can, of course, inflict damage on one another, but this will be mutually harmful. They should think about that, too.”
On Tuesday, Germany’s Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said he didn’t see any solution in sight for Ukraine, after meeting with his Russian counterpart
Sergei Lavrov
in Geneva late Monday.
He said that if Russia and Ukraine weren’t able to establish direct talks, the European Union—which has far closer economic ties to Russia than the U.S.—was likely to discuss the possibility of “restrictive measures” on Russia at a meeting on Thursday.
Mr. Putin said he understood the desire by Ukrainians for change but said “illegal change” couldn’t be encouraged.
“It was an unconstitutional coup and an armed seizure of power that took place. No one argues with that,” Mr. Putin said.
He denounced the new government taking form in Kyiv as illegitimate, referring to them as “the people who call themselves the government.”
“The parliament is partly [legitimate], but everyone else, no,” he said. “And absolutely for sure you cannot speak of the legitimacy of the acting president.”
Still, he acknowledged that Mr. Yanukovych had no political future and said Russia wouldn’t rule out dealing with the winner of May presidential elections in Ukraine if what he called the “terror on the streets of Kyiv” stopped.
Shortly before Mr. Putin spoke, Russia’s state-run gas giant
OGZPY +7.28%
Gazprom OAO ADS
U.S.: OTC
$7.22
+0.49
+7.28%
March 4, 2014 11:43 am
Volume (Delayed 15m)
:
5.49M
P/E Ratio
2.12
Market Cap
$77.59 Billion
Dividend Yield
7.75%
Rev. per Employee
$395,208
01/28/14 Corporate Debt in Emerging Wor…
More quote details and news »
OGZPY in
Your Value
Your Change
Short position
said it would discontinue discounted gas deliveries to Ukraine starting in early April, a decision that will put Ukraine’s young government under further pressure.
Mr. Putin said the decision was driven by Ukraine’s failure to pay its bills. At the same time, Russian Prime Minister
ordered his finance ministry to look into the possibility of providing a $2 billion to $3 billion loan to Ukraine so that it can repay its debts for gas deliveries.
Earlier in the day, Russia’s defense minister ordered soldiers involved in combat-readiness drills across Russia to return to their bases. But the situation on the ground in mainly Russian-speaking Crimea remained tense.
The military exercises had involved around 150,000 troops—some close to the border with Ukraine—as well as air defense and tank units and Russia’s North and Baltic Sea fleets, leading to fears Russia was considering military action in mainland Ukraine.
The order to return to base by Friday didn’t apply to Russian forces in Crimea, who have effectively seized total control of the peninsula, and have Ukrainian units remaining there surrounded.
Russian commanders who have taken over the Belbek air base outside Sevastopol, home of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet, locked out hundreds of Ukrainian staff who were trying to return to work after spending the night in barracks on the compound.
Ukrainian troops at bases in Crimea are surrounded by Russian forces. WSJ’s Jason Bellini explains what that means, and gives #TheShortAnswer on what you need to know about Crimea.
“We have been up to this point occupying our places jointly,” said Col.
Yuli Mamchur,
the Ukrainian base commander, with armed Russians and Ukrainians side by side at each post.
He described the scene as tense, but said there had been no fighting. “It’s a process and we are talking,” he said.
Commanders at several Ukrainian military bases said they had received an ultimatum from the Russian side to abandon their bases, but the deadline passed without incident in most places.
—Alan Cullison in Sevastopol, Ukraine, contributed to this article.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is seen listening to Gen. Ivan Buvaltsev as they observe d a military exercise near St. Petersburg, Russia, Monday.
Associated Press
Write to Lukas I. Alpert at lukas.alpert@wsj.com