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During a news conference on Tuesday morning, Russian president Vladimir Putin said he hopes Russia won't have to use force in eastern Ukraine.

On Monday, the Ukrainian government said Russia had deployed 16,000 troops to Crimea and demanded that local forces lay down their arms. Russian fighter jets twice violated Ukraine's air space over the Black Sea, and the Black Sea Fleet told Ukrainian forces in Crimea to surrender by 5 a.m. on Tuesday or face a military action.

Ukrainian leader Viktor Yanukovych also sent a letter to Putin asking him to use the Russian military to restore law and order in his country, Reuters reported.

In response, the United States suspended military ties to Russia and prepared to impose sanctions on high-level Russian officials involved in the military occupation of Crimea, The New York Times reported.

Russia dismissed talks of sanctions and said it was only trying to protect its interests and those of Russians in Ukraine. Putin also noted that sanction attempts will backfire on the West.

During his speech, Putin described the recent turmoil in Ukraine as an anti-constitutional coup, and said that while the Ukrainian parliament was legitimate, acting President Olexander Turchynov was not.

Putin also claimed that Yanukovych, who is accused of mass crimes against the protesters who stood up for months against his rule, did not give orders to shoot the demonstrators.


Although Yanukovych has no political future, Putin said Russia agreed to shelter him to save his life.

Secretary of State John Kerry is en route to the Ukrainian capital, in an effort to reinforce Washington's support for the new government.

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MOSCOW (AP) -- President Vladimir Putin says that Ukraine's fugitive President Viktor Yanukovych has no political future, and Russia gave him shelter to save his life.
Putin on Tuesday accused the West of using Yanukovych's decision to ditch a pact with the European Union in favor of closer ties with Russia to encourage protests that drove him from power.

He accused the West of encouraging the anti-constitutional coup in Ukraine and driving it onto anarchy.

It was the first time Putin has spoken publicly since Yanukovych fled Kiev.