MOSCOW, November 17. /TASS/. A surreptitious support of Russophobic sentiments in Ukraine will lead to nothing but a catastrophe, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in an interview with German TV channel ARD.
“We are told again and again: pro-Russian separatists must do this and this, you must influence them in this way, you must act in that way,” the Russian president said.
“I have always asked them: "What have you done to influence your clients in Kiev? What have you done? Or do you only support Russophobic sentiments?" This is very dangerous, by the way. A catastrophe will happen if somebody surreptitiously supports Russophobia in Ukraine.
Ukraine is an independent state, but Russia is concerned that its eastern neighbor might end up as a neo-Nazi state, Putin said.
“Ukraine is an independent, free and sovereign state,” the Russian president said. “Frankly speaking, we are very concerned about any possible ethnic cleansings and Ukraine ending up as a neo-Nazi state.”
“What are we supposed to think if people are bearing swastikas on their sleeves? Or what about the SS emblems that we see on the helmets of some military units now fighting in eastern Ukraine?” he said.
“If it is a civilized state, where are the authorities looking? At least they could get rid of this uniform, they could make the nationalists remove these emblems,” Putin said.