"We must immediately get down to a substantial, substantive negotiations, and not on technical questions, but on the questions of the political organization of society and statehood in the south-east of Ukraine with the purpose of unconditional provision of the lawful interests of people who live there,"  Putin said, according to Interfax and translated by Interpreter Magazine.

The statements are the furthest signal yet that Russia has plans to put more pressure on Ukraine to bend to Russia's will ? if not also to forcibly bring parts of Ukraine back into Moscow's orbit. Previously, Russia has only called for greater rights under a decentralized federal system for the regions claimed by separatists.