Kiev's actions in east Ukraine will 'have consequences': Putin
The Russian president says use of army by Ukraine will be a serious crime against its own people.
MOSCOW (AFP) - Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that the deployment of military forces in east Ukraine by the Kiev authorities was a crime against its own people that will "have consequences".
"If Kiev really began to use the army against the country s population... that is a very serious crime against its own people," Putin said.
If the pro-West Kiev authorities are resorting to force, "it is of course some kind of junta," he said.
"That is simply a punitive measure that will without question have consequences for the people making these decisions, including for our inter-governmental relations," he added, without specifying the nature of consequences.
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the assault by Ukrainian army on separatist posts near the town of Slavyansk is an "unacceptable" act of violence.
"Use of army, especially with support of radical nationalists against the people is an absolutely unacceptable form of violence, moreover I think that this is a criminal decision," he was reported as saying by Russian news agencies.
He said while meeting with Lebanese counterpart Gebran Bassil that Kiev must take the first step in defusing the crisis, while the United States must "use their influence" on Kiev.
Speaking at an event in Saint Petersburg, Putin also said that the Western sanctions imposed against Russia for the annexation of Crimea from Ukraine were not going to be effective.
"Everyone knows... that no sanctions are effective in the modern world, they never have an intended effect," Putin said, calling them "political".
"It is absolutely not critical," he said. "Though I would not say they are a positive thing either."
