Putin Keeps Force as Option in Ukraine

MOSCOW—Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday he hoped not to send Russian troops into Ukraine but didn't rule it out, accusing the Kiev government of committing "a serious crime" by using the military to quell unrest. Speaking during an annual televised event in which he takes questions from the public, Mr. Putin said the situation in the east—where pro-Russian militants have seized control of 10 cities—could only be resolved through dialogue. He said he held out hope a compromise could be reached in four-way talks being held later Thursday in Geneva. Mr. Putin's comment came following a clash overnight that left three pro-Russian protesters dead and 13 wounded, the bloodiest conflict yet in a military operation launched by Kiev. He noted he had been authorized by Russia's parliament in early March to use force in Ukraine if necessary, "but I really hope that I do not have to exercise this right, and that through political and diplomatic means we will be able to solve the most acute problems in Ukraine today."

 Mr. Putin's comments served to explain the Kremlin's position to a more receptive domestic audience. They came a day after his spokesman complained that Western media had failed to give proper credence to Russia's version of events, saying the country faced a "concrete wall of censorship." Kiev is engaging in its first direct talks with Moscow at a meeting with envoys from the U.S. and European Union in Geneva on Thursday. Moscow has deployed tens of thousands of troops on its border with Ukraine, and has repeatedly said it could send them into Ukraine to protect the local ethnic population.

 Mr. Putin said Ukraine's military effort showed the new government in Kiev was making no effort to respond to the demands of those in the heavily ethnic-Russian region. "Instead of realizing that something has gone wrong in Ukraine and making attempts to start dialogue, they have intensified their threats to use force and have even decided to send tanks and aircraft against the civilian population," Mr. Putin said. "It is another very serious crime on the part of the current Kiev authorities." Ukraine has accused Russia of sending agents into the region to foment unrest in an effort to slice off another piece of Ukrainian territory after annexing Crimea last month. But Mr. Putin insisted that Russia has no forces present in the country. "Such claims are nonsense," he said. He did, however, acknowledge for the first time that Russian troops had moved into Crimea ahead of a secession vote in order to protect "the expression of free will" in the region.

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