ST. PETERSBURG, June 19. /TASS/. Russia will not allow Ukraine to have armed forces that would pose a potential threat to Russia and its people, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a meeting with the heads of the world's leading news agencies organized by TASS.

"We will not allow Ukraine to have the armed forces that pose a potential threat to the Russian Federation and its people," Putin said.

He reiterated that demilitarization was among the objectives of the Russian special military operation.