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'Meaningful' talks urged on E. Ukraine

By Agencies in Moscow and Brussels | China Daily | Updated: 2014-09-01 07:06

Putin is not calling for a separate state in the region, Kremlin says

Russian President Vladimir Putin called on Sunday for meaningful talks between rebels in eastern Ukraine and the Kiev government on issues including "political organization and statehood" to protect people living there.

"We need to immediately begin substantive talks ... on questions of the political organization of society and statehood for southeastern Ukraine with the goal of protecting the lawful interests of the people who live there," Putin was quoted as saying by Russian news agencies on a TV show broadcast in the far east of the country.

Moscow has previously only called for greater rights to be accorded to the eastern regions of Ukraine, where predominantly Russian-speakers live.

Asked about Putin's remarks, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the president is not calling for a separate state in the region, adding it should remain part of Ukraine and calling the crisis there a domestic conflict.

In the program, taped on Friday, Putin blamed the crisis in Ukraine on the West.

"They should have known that Russia cannot stand aside when people are being shot almost at point-blank," said Putin, adding that he did not have in mind "the Russian state but the Russian people."

Ukraine has handed over a group of captured Russian paratroops and Russia has returned 63 Ukrainian soldiers who crossed into its territory last week, Russian news agencies quoted a paratroop commander as saying.

Ukraine said last week it had captured 10 paratroops and presented them to the media as evidence that the Russian military is fighting alongside separatist rebels in eastern Ukraine.

Russia said the men had crossed an unmarked section of the border by accident.

Early on Sunday, European Union leaders decided to give Russia one week to de-escalate the Ukraine crisis, or face tougher sanctions, European Council President Herman Van Rompuy said after a special summit in Brussels.

AP - AFP - Xinhua

(China Daily 09/01/2014 page12)

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