Putin to mull options if West refuses guarantees on Ukraine

By VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV
Associated Press

MOSCOW (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin says he will ponder a slew of options if the West fails to meet his demand for security guarantees precluding NATO’s expansion to Ukraine. Earlier this month, Moscow submitted draft security documents demanding that NATO deny membership to Ukraine and other former Soviet countries and roll back its military deployments in Central and Eastern Europe. Putin has urged the West to move quickly to meet the demands, warning that Moscow will have to take “adequate military-technical measures” if the West continues its “aggressive” course. He said in remarks televised Sunday that such measures “could be diverse” and depend on proposals from military experts.