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

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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 anti-constitutional 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 Alexander Turchinov 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 also said that the current Ukrainian authorities do not have a nationwide mandate.

“Obviously, this is not within my competence, and we are not going to interfere. But we believe that all Ukrainian citizens regardless of where they live must have equal rights to participate in the country’s life and the creation of its future… If I were among those who believe that they are a legitimate power, I would hurry with necessary procedures (to affirm that). Because they do not have a nationwide mandate to define the domestic, foreign, and economic policy, and moreover to define Ukraine’s future,” 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 so far, but he may do that "as a last resort."

“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.

Russia is not considering annexing Crimea, whose population is mostly Russian-speaking and where Moscow has a naval base, Putin said. Earlier, the Autonomous Republci of Crimea’s Prime Minister Sergei Aksyonov asked Putin to help to maintain peace on the peninsula amid the political turmoil in Ukraine.

Western countries threatened to impose sanctions against Russia if it uses military force in Crimea, but Putin said such sanctions would have negative effect on the Western countries as well as on Russia.

“I believe those who are going to impose (the sanctions) must think of the consequences. I think that in the modern world where all (countries) depend on each other, some damage can definitely be caused, but it will be a mutual damage,” Putin said.

Putin also said that current situation on stock markets, which plunged on Monday amid Ukrainian woes, is temporary. “Money loves silence, calm and stability. I think this (the stock market fall) is a temporary event and (it has a) temporary influence,” he said.

The domestic stock market accelerated its upward correction following Putin’s new conference, with the MICEX and RTS indices rising over 5% and 6%, respectively, after a 11–12% drop on Monday.

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