Putin urges Ukrainian army to 'take power' to negotiate peace

Russian President Vladimir Putin says it will be easier for the Kremlin to negotiate peace with the Ukrainian armed forces if they "take power" in the country.

Putin directly addressed the Ukrainian army at a televised meeting with Russia's Security Council on Friday, saying, "Take power into your own hands, it will be easier for us to reach agreement."

The president said that the army would be a better negotiating partner than "a bunch of drug addicts and neo-Nazis" who he said have "entrenched themselves in Kiev."

"I once again appeal to the military personnel of the armed forces of Ukraine: do not allow neo-Nazis and (Ukrainian radical nationalists) to use your children, wives and elders as human shields," the president added.

Putin said Ukrainian "nationalists" were preparing to deploy multiple rocket launchers to the residential areas of Ukrainian cities, including Kiev and the northeastern city of Kharkiv. Ukraine's leadership are "acting like terrorists all over the world: they are hiding behind people in the hope of then blaming Russia for casualties," Putin said. "It is known for a fact that this is happening on the recommendation of foreign consultants, primarily American advisers," he added.

Earlier on Friday, both Moscow and Kiev said they were ready to engage in peace talks. The Kremlin said it suggested the Belarusian capital of Minsk as the site for peace talks but Kiev had instead proposed Poland's capital, Warsaw.

Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, however, said later in the day that Kiev had suddenly cut communications altogether. He said Ukraine had taken quite a long time-out. During that pause, Peskov said, the Ukrainians ordered military units to take positions in the densely-populated areas of the Ukrainian capital.

SS