Russia’s Putin calls situation in Ukraine military coup d’etat

MOSCOW, Mar 4 (PRIME) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday that the current situation in Ukraine is an anticonstitutional takeover and seizure of power.

“There can only be one assessment of events that occurred in Kiev, and Ukraine. It is an anticonstitutional coup d’etat and a military seizure of power,” Putin said, adding that “no one argues it,” as cited by RIA Novosti.

The new Ukrainian parliament is only legitimate to some extent, while its acting President Oleksandr Turchynov is not legitimate at all, Putin said.

“There is only one legitimate president. Obviously, he has no power at all. Only (Viktor) Yanukovich is undoubtedly a legitimate president in legal terms,” Putin said.

Putin, who earlier secured permission from his parliament to use military force to protect Russian citizens in Ukraine, also said that there is no need to bring troops to Ukraine yet, but may do that.

“If we see that this mayhem starts in eastern regions (of Ukraine), if the people ask us for help, and we already have an official request from the legitimate president, then we reserve the right to use all measures we have to protect those people. We believe that this is fairly legitimate,” Putin said.

Earlier on Tuesday Putin ordered troops which have been exercising on Russia’s western borders back to base, but made no orders for troops which seized the Ukrainian Crimea peninsula over the weekend.

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