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Putin vows Russia will promptly respond to threats caused by situation in Ukraine

The Russian president said the "political and selective" decisions made in Ukraine were aimed at cleaning up the political space from forces that advocate a peaceful resolution of the crisis in the country's southeast

NOVO-OGARYOVO, May 14. /TASS/. The Russian authorities will respond to threats posed by the situation in Ukraine in a timely manner, President Vladimir Putin said on Friday in his opening remarks at a meeting with members of Russia’s Security Council.

He noted that the "political and selective" decisions made in Ukraine were aimed at "just one thing - to clean up the political space from those forces that advocate a peaceful resolution of the crisis in southeastern Ukraine, in Donbass and good-neighborly relations with Russia," Putin said.

"This is certainly an issue that should always be in the focus of our attention, and we will have to respond to that in a timely and proper manner, bearing in mind those threats to us, which are being created," he stressed.

Referring to the situation in Ukraine, Putin noted that "someone is selectively accused [there] of working with Russia in the economic sphere" for political reasons. He added that the issue at hand was the activities of the Ukrainian opposition.

"Although many, including those in the country’s political leadership, have been actively working in Russia for many years and, by the way, in Crimea too, and this is considered to be normal," the Russian president noted.

He stressed that the trade turnover between the two countries had amounted to $9.9 bln over the past year. "I can hardly imagine, if we approach such issues without bias, everyone working with Russia being held criminally liable in Ukraine," the president said.