Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatseniuk said today at a session of Ukraine's new Cabinet of Ministers that the presence of Russian troops in the Crimean peninsula violates the bilateral agreement governing Russia's naval base in Sevastopol.
Yatsenyuk called on Russian President Vladimir Putin “to immediately withdraw troops and not to provoke confrontation.”
Otherwise, Yatseniuk warned, the responsibility for the conflict will rest with the Russian government.
The presence of Russian troops “is nothing but a provocation,” Yatseniuk added.
Yatseniuk also said that Ukraine will not succumb to provocations and not resort to force. “We do not make any moves that might provoke a violent confrontation,” the prime minister said.
Yatseniuk was elected prime minister last week after the overthrow of President Viktor Yanukovych on Feb. 22.
