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Putin: Russia to heed Ukraine events after revocation of permission to use army there

“Cancelation of the resolution on the right to use force does not at all mean that we are not going to pay attention to what is going on there,”Putin said

VIENNA, June 24, 22:07 /ITAR-TASS/. Russia will still take heed of events in Ukraine after revocation of the parliament-given permission to use Russia’s armed forces in the neighboring country, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday.

“Cancelation of the resolution on the right to use force does not at all mean that we are not going to pay attention to what is going on there,” Putin said after talks with Austrian President Heinz Fischer.

“We will always defend both ethnic Russians in Ukraine and the part of the Ukrainian population, Ukrainian people, which feels its inseparable, not only ethnic but also cultural and language, bonds with Russia,” he said.

Putin emphasized that Moscow would not only attentively watch but would “react in a proper way.” “I hope the armed forces will not be needed for that,” he said.

The Russian president earlier on Tuesday suggested that the Federation Council, the upper house of Russia’s parliament, cancel its resolution authorizing the use of Russia’s armed forces in crisis-gripped Ukraine, Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

“In connection with the start of three-party talks on this issue [settlement of the situation in Ukraine’s eastern regions] the head of state submitted to the Federation Council a proposal on cancelation of the Federation Council’s resolution of March 1, 2014 No. 48-FZ on the use of the armed forces of the Russian Federation on the territory of Ukraine,” Peskov told Itar-Tass.

He said Putin, prior to his departure for Vienna on an official visit on Tuesday, had addressed a relevant letter to Federation Council speaker Valentina Matviyenko. The move is designed to normalize the situation in Ukraine’s East.

The parliamentary permission for Putin to use Russia’s armed forces in Ukraine authorized him to use the army “on the territory of Ukraine until the public and political situation normalizes in the country.”

It was given on Putin’s request “proceeding from the interests of security of Russian Federation citizens, our compatriots and personnel of the military contingent of the Russian armed forces stationed in line with an international treaty on the [then-] territory of Ukraine [Autonomous Republic of Crimea]” and under Russia’s Constitution.

The authorization to use armed forces in Ukraine if necessary gave Moscow an opportunity to protect, if need arises, Russian speakers in the neighboring country, which was in turmoil after a coup occurred there in February and new people were brought to power amid riots.

The Federation Council will consider Putin’s request at Wednesday’s plenary session, a source who took part in the upper house’s meeting has told Itar-Tass.