Russia's moves on Ukraine are congruent to extraordinary situation - Putin

President Vladimir Putin told German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Sunday that Russian citizens and Russian-speakers in Ukraine faced an "unflagging" threat from ultranationalists, and that the measures Moscow has taken were completely fitting given the "extraordinary situation", the Kremlin said.

In a telephone conversation during which Merkel expressed concern about developments in Ukraine, she and Putin agreed that Russia and Germany would continue consultations in bilateral and multilateral formats to seek the "normalisation" of the situation, a Kremlin statement said. The conversation was initiated by the German side worried over the development in Ukraine, and in its autonomous republic of Crimea in particular. The Russian president drew attention of the German chancellor to growing threats of violence on the part of ultranationalist forces in Ukraine, which endanger the lives and legal interests of Russian citizens and the entire Russian-speaking population of Ukraine. “The Russian leader stressed that Russia’s measures were completely consistent with the current extraordinary situation,” the press service said.

Russia's Vladimir Putin has agreed to a proposal from Angela Merkel to set up a contact group on Ukraine, the German government said Sunday. "President Putin accepted the German chancellor's proposal to immediately establish a commission of enquiry as well as a contact group, possibly under the direction of the OSCE, to open a political dialogue," Berlin said in a statement.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has discussed the situation in Ukraine with his US counterpart Barack Obama by telephone. Putin reminded the US president of crimes committed by Ukrainian ultranationalists with the connivance of Kiev's new self-proclaimed government. The conversation was at Obama's request and lasted more than an hour, according to the Kremlin's press service. In response to Obama's concerns over the possible use of Russian troops in Ukrainian territory, Putin said that Russia reserved the right to defend both its own interests and the interests of the Russian-speaking population of Ukraine if violence spread to Ukraine's eastern provinces and Crimea. Putin accentuated the existence of real threats to life and health for Russian citizens and millions of compatriots living in Ukraine. Putin also spoke with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. He made clear that, if violence against the Russian-speaking population in eastern Ukraine and Crimea escalated, Russia would not remain aloof but would take all necessary measures within the framework of international law. Both sides pinpointed the need to prevent the escalation of the crisis in Ukraine. Putin shared his assessments of the situation in Ukraine in a follow-up telephone conversation with French President Francois Hollande. The two leaders discussed ways of promoting solutions to the crisis and agreed to maintain contact.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and US counterpart Barack Obama discussed in detail "different aspects of an extraordinary situation in Ukraine" in a telephone conversation, the Kremlin press service reported on Sunday. The Russian president noted that Russia retained the right to protect its interests and Russian speakers living in Ukraine if violence spread to eastern Ukrainian regions and the Crimea. Putin spoke of real threats to life and health for Russian citizens and numerous compatriots living in the country. In reply to Obama's concerns over plans on the possible use of Russian armed forces in Ukraine, Putin noted provocative and criminal actions by ultra-nationalistic elements that are actually encouraged by current authorities in Kiev. The United States initiated the telephone conversation.