19 Feb 2014 14:32

Putin believes extremists responsible for standoff in Ukraine - spokesman

MOSCOW. Feb 19 (Interfax) - The Russian leadership believes that extremists are fully responsible for the current situation in Ukraine, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

"In the [Russian] president's view, all responsibility for what is going on in Ukraine rests precisely with extremists. Moscow has supported a dialogue with all civilized political forces in Ukraine," Peskov told journalists on Wednesday.

Russia wishes its Ukrainian partners "to ensure the settlement of the situation that has taken shape as soon as possible," he said.