Russia was left with no other choice, says Putin on military operations in Ukraine

Moscow [Russia], February 24 (ANI): Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday said that Russia was left with no other choice than military operations in Ukraine, reported Sputnik.
Putin on Thursday morning said special military operations are being launched "to protect" the people in the Donbas region. He also warned other countries that any attempt to interfere with the Russian action would lead to "consequences".
Leaders from a number of countries including the UK, the US, Canada, and the European Union have condemned Russia's military operations in the Donbas region.
The tensions between the two nations escalated after Putin on Monday recognized Ukraine's breakaway regions - Donetsk and Luhansk - as independent entities escalating the ongoing tensions between the two countries. Ukraine gained independence in 1991 after the disintegration of the Soviet Union.
Expressing his disappointments over UN Chief Antonio Guterres's statement on Ukraine, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Thursday said that Guterres statements were amenable to West's pressure and were at odds with his status and powers under the UN Charter.
"To our great regret, @antonioguterres has proved amenable to the West's pressure and he made a number of statements on the developments in eastern Ukraine, which are at odds with his status and powers under the UN Charter," tweeted the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia.
He made the remarks during talks with UN Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen in Moscow.
"All these years, the UN Secretary-General should have demanded that Kiev implement Minsk Agreements, primarily by developing a dialogue with Donetsk and Lugansk, which is clearly set out in the Minsk Package of Measures and UNSC Resolution 2202," added MoFA Russia. (ANI)