Russian president, Vladimir Putin, characterized the claims about the presence of Russian forces in eastern Ukraine as “nonsense”.
In his statements broadcasted by Russian television on Thursday, Mr. Putin admitted only that Russian forces were deployed in Crimea while the referendum was being conducted and said that Ukraine’s decision to send military forces in eastern Ukraine, instead of trying to start a dialogue with the Russian-speaking population, is a “serious crime”.
“Only through dialogue, through democratic procedures and not with the use of armed forces, tanks and planes can order be imposed in the country”, he said, adding that Ukrainian leadership is leading the country to the edge of the cliff.
Regarding the quadripartite talks to be held today in Geneva with the participation of the U.S., European Union, Russia and Ukraine, Putin said the are “very important” and urged the Ukrainian leadership to initiate a dialogue with the Russian-speaking eastern regions of Ukraine.
All in all, Putin expressed his belief that Russia and Ukraine will reach a compromise after the annexation of Crimea, as the two countries have common interests.