Putin tells ex-Soviet republics: Ukraine was an exception – report

MOSCOW (Reuters) – President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday that Russia respected the sovereignty of other ex-Soviet republics and that Moscow had made an exception with Ukraine because he said it was under foreign control, the TASS news agency reported.

Ukraine rejects what it says is a stream of propaganda out of Russia, which has built up forces near the border of its former Soviet neighbour and on Monday recognised two chunks of its territory as independent republics.