Russia undecided on further troop deployment

KIEV, Ukraine (Xinhua) - Russian President Vladimir Putin made no decision on Saturday on sending troops to Ukraine despite winning approval from Russia's parliament, while Western countries harshly warned against any possible military intervention in Ukraine.

Putin's decision will depend on how the Ukrainian situation evolves, his spokesman said after Russian parliament announced authorizing Putin to use military force in Ukraine to protect Russia's interests.

Russian Federal Council chairperson Valentina Matvienko said Saturday that neither NATO nor the United States had any legal justification for using armed forces in Ukraine.

"We are acting in strict compliance with legislation and the Constitution. One needs a reason to use such an extreme measure," the Interfax news agency quoted her as saying.

Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin to the United Nations, in an unusual Saturday session, was highly critical of the anti-government demonstrations in Ukraine over the last three months, and condemned the involvement of "radicals" or "radical extremists" who had ordered armed men to attack regional government building in Crimea.

Churkin said that the regional Crimean government had formally requested Russian military assistance to restore stability to the peninsula.

He also pointed out Friday that his country did not want a confrontation, adding Russian troops and equipment were operating under the 1994 Budapest accord, which allows Russia's access to its sole Black Sea port, Sevastopol in Crimea.

Responding to Russia's announcement, Ukraine's acting President Alexandr Turchynov said Saturday he has placed the country's armed forces on full combat alert, warning that any military intervention in the country would lead to war.

The ousted Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, who showed up Friday for the first time in his week-long hiding, said in a statement Saturday that he condemned "the attempts of those who have seized power in Kiev to force their ways in Crimea."

He supported Crimean authorities' appeal to Russia for "comprehensive assistance to, and the protection of, the Crimeans."

The European Union (EU), backing Ukraine's split with Russia, warned Russia of an unwarranted escalation of tensions and urged it not to dispatch troops to Ukraine.

"Any violation of these principles is unacceptable. More than ever, restraint and sense of responsibility are needed," EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said Saturday.

European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said Saturday in Berlin that the challenges of Crimea, an autonomous republic in southern Ukraine but a focal point now in the country's ongoing crisis, must be dealt with "in the respect of Ukrainian unity and sovereignty."

"I hope that the international community will also stand with us in upholding these principles and guaranteeing regional and international peace," he said.

Echoing Ashton's remarks, leaders of Britain, France and Germany also called for a rapid and coordinated European action facing the Ukraine crisis.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Saturday expressed concern over the situation in Crimea, stressing the importance of preserving Ukraine's "territorial integrity."

"What is happening in Ukraine worries us," Merkel said, adding that she is in contact with those in charge in Kiev, Russia and the United States.

French President Francois Hollande on Saturday called for moves to avoid "foreign intervention" in Ukraine that will fuel further tension in Kiev.

"Everything must be done to avoid foreign intervention and the risk of a highly dangerous escalation" in Ukraine, he said.

British Foreign Secretary William Hague on Saturday expressed "deep concerns" over the escalation of tensions in Ukraine, urging the world leaders to take diplomatic action to address the crisis.

"This action is a potentially grave threat to the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine. We condemn any act of aggression against Ukraine," he added.