Russian President Vladimir Putin said Monday that separatist militias that control parts of eastern Ukraine should treat those regions as independent countries — saying he wants to redraw borders in Europe in the most significant way in decades and hinting that he would deploy Russian forces to make that happen.
Putin announced his position in a televised address in which he questioned whether Ukraine and other nations that emerged from the Soviet Union should be independent and accused Western governments of threatening Russia. He later ordered Russian troops to the Ukrainian regions.
