PRESIDENT Putin said yesterday at a Moscow press conference that an unconstitutional coup and an armed takeover of power had taken place in Kiev.
He was puzzled by this since ‘there was no need for it at a time when Viktor Yanukovych had conceded to all opposition demands.’
Putin stressed that the Ukrainian people had a legitimate reason to protest against Yanukovych’s power, considering the overwhelming corruption and other faults of his presidency.
But he objected to the illegitimate way his ouster took place, because it undermined the political stability in the country.
He stressed that what was happening now ‘may be a replacement of one group of crooks with another, citing the appointments of certain wealthy businessmen with questionable reputations.’
Yanukovych is certainly powerless in Ukraine, but legally speaking he is the legitimate president of the country, Putin said.
Putin, who was given a mandate by the Russian senate to use military force to protect civilians in Ukraine, said there is no need for such an action yet.
The Russian president stressed that Russia wants to see equal participation of all citizens of Ukraine in defining the future of the country. The resistance to the authorities in Kiev, which is evident currently in eastern and southern Ukraine, shows clearly that currently Kiev does not have a nationwide mandate to govern the country.
Asked about criticism of Russia over its stance on Ukraine, Putin dismissed the accusations that Russia is acting illegitimately. He stated that even if Russia does use force in Ukraine, it would not violate international law.
At the same time he accused the United States and its allies of having no regard to legitimacy, when they use military force in pursuit of their own national interests. He cited the campaigns in Iraq and in Libya as examples of such behaviour.
Russia is not planning to go to war with the Ukrainian people, Putin stressed. Putin did not see any political future for Yanukovych, which he told the ousted Ukrainian president himself.
Russia will be watching the planned presidential election in Ukraine, Putin said. If it is conducted in an atmosphere of terror, Russia will consider it unfair and will not recognise its results, he warned.
He considers that he has no counterpart in Kiev now, so he personally has no partner to communicate with.
Putin warned that if Ukraine had undergone a revolution, then the nation that came out of it is not the same that it was before, similar to the way Russia transformed after the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917.
‘If this is the case, Moscow may consider itself no longer bound by any treaties it has with Ukraine,’ Putin warned.
