Accusing the West of encouraging an "unconstitutional coup" in Ukraine, Vladimir Putin said Tuesday that Moscow reserves the right to use its military to protect Russians there but voiced hope it won't need to do so. The Russian leader's first comments on Ukraine since its fugitive president fled to Russia came as U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry arrived in Kyiv to meet with Ukraine's new government.
Putin declared that Western actions were driving Ukraine into anarchy
and warned that any sanctions the West places on Russia for its actions
there will backfire. Both the U.S. and the 28-nation European Union have
raised the possibility of sanctions against Russia.
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