"We want to ensure that there can be no armed forces in Ukraine that could pose a threat to Russia," the Russian president said during a press conference in St. Petersburg.
"If you can't reach an agreement peacefully, you have to seek a military solution to it," Putin added.
When asked if there are any plans for a meeting or phone call with US President Donald Trump, Putin replied that it "would be very useful."
"I agree with the American president that a meeting should be well prepared and should yield some positive results," Putin said.
We have great respect for President Trump's intention to rebuild relations with Russia.
