Moscow protects Russians, Russia-oriented ones in Donbas - Putin

Russia cannot leave people residing in southeastern Ukraine to the nationalists, and there is nothing excessive about this position, Putin has said

Russia cannot leave people residing in southeastern Ukraine to the nationalists, and there is nothing excessive about this position, Russian President Vladimir Putin has said.

"Everyone perfectly understands everything but they think they need to pressure Russia more so that it yields something somewhere. By the way, this is not our business to yield something or to insist on something. We have only one thing in mind - we cannot leave people living in the southeast to the nationalists," Putin said in an interview in a documentary, "World Order," of the Rossiya-1 (VGTRK) television channel.

This is not just about Russians living in Donbas but also about those oriented towards Russia, he said.

"There is nothing excessive about this position," the Russian president added.