Interfax: Putin talked to Ukrainian president but not interfering in crisis – spokesman

Viktor Yanukovych file photo

(Interfax -February 19, 2014) Russian President Vladimir Putin talked to Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych about the situation in Ukraine on the night of 18-19 February, Russian presidential spokesman Dmitriy Peskov has said. But the information published about this conversation is untrue, he added. Peskov was speaking to journalists on 19 February, as reported by privately-owned Russian news agency Interfax.

“As for a report that a telephone conversation allegedly took place between V. Yanukovych and V. Putin. Such a telephone conversation indeed took place yesterday night. But some information that has been published allegedly about the content of this conversation is nothing more than a canard and is untrue,” Peskov was quoted as saying.

Putin is not interfering in Ukraine’s internal affairs and is not giving Yanukovych advice, Peskov said.

“The president of Russia has never given, and is not giving, advice to his Ukrainian counterpart as to what needs to be done and how it needs to be done and so on, and does not intend to give such advice in the future,” Peskov was quoted as saying.

Peskov added: “The position of the Russian leadership and the Russian president regarding the events in Ukraine is to wait for speedy settlement of this situation,” Peskov said.

“And how, in what way, and on account of what this settlement will be achieved, in the president’s view, is the exclusive prerogative of the legitimate authorities,” he said.

Asked whether Russia would continue to give loans to Ukraine or wait, Peskov replied: “One thing is obvious: that in a situation where extremist elements are staging what is happening now in Ukraine, it is precisely the settlement of this situation that remains the priority issue,” Peskov said.

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