Ukraine conflict: Russia's Vladimir Putin says war 'unlikely'

The Russian president, Vladimir
Putin, has said war with neighbouring
Ukraine is "unlikely", in an interview
for Russian television.
M
r Putin also stressed his support for
the recent Minsk ceasefire deal as the
best way to stabilise eastern Ukraine.
Ukraine says Russian troops have been
fighting in Ukraine. Mr Putin repeated
denials that this was the case.
Earlier, Ukraine's military said rebel
shelling had prevented them
withdrawing heavy weapons from the
front line.
In his interview - his first extended
comments since the ceasefire deal was
agreed on 12 February - Mr Putin was
asked if there was a real threat of war,
given the situation in eastern Ukraine.
"I think that such an apocalyptic scenario
is unlikely and I hope this will never
happen," he said.
Mr Putin said that if the Minsk
agreement was implemented, eastern
Ukraine would "gradually stabilise".
"Europe is just as interested in that as
Russia. No-one wants conflict on the
edge of Europe, especially armed
conflict," he said.
Analysis: Sarah Rainsford, BBC
News, Moscow
This was a confident Vladimir Putin,
fielding soft questions on the Ukraine
conflict with ease, even smiles. Russia's
president said that in his eyes, the way
to peace in Ukraine is clear - the deal
struck in Minsk has to be implemented.
He underlined that the agreement had
been backed by the UN Security Council -
and that matters to Moscow. He was also
keen to point out that it devolves more
power to eastern parts of Ukraine,
currently controlled by Russian-backed
rebels.
As for Russia invading Ukraine, President
Putin once again shrugged off evidence
that he's deployed troops to help the
rebels. He said Kiev was claiming that to
hide its humiliation at being defeated by
former miners and tractor drivers.
He was just as scathing on the issue of
Crimea, which Russia annexed last year,
advising Ukraine's president to
concentrate on saving his country's
collapsing economy, instead of vowing to
take back that land.
The Russian leader also said the Minsk
deal had become an "international legal
document" following UN Security Council
approval of a Russian-drafted resolution
endorsing it.
Last week the deal looked in danger of
collapsing when rebels captured the
strategically important transport hub of
Debaltseve.
Both sides have two weeks under the
terms of the Minsk deal to pull artillery
and tanks out of striking distance, and
both agreed at the weekend to begin
withdrawing heavy weapons shortly.

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