Vladimir Putin says Russia was ‘forced’ to take a decision on Ukraine crisis

Vladimir Putin has said Russia was ‘forced’ to take a decision on the Ukraine crisis.

It comes as Russia’s upper house of parliament has approved Vladimir Putin’s request for permission to deploy Russia’s troops abroad, including in eastern Ukraine.

A defence minister addressed the chamber to make the plea for approval, claiming that Russia had been left with no choice.

Mr Putin announced yesterday that he formally recognises two eastern Ukrainian regions, controlled by the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) and Luhansk People’s Republic (LPR), as independent states.

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