Putin’s ‘two weeks to Kiev’ line quoted ‘out of context’ by EU chief

A Kremlin aide yesterday sharply criticised EU Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso for breaching confidentiality when he quoted President Vladimir Putin as saying Moscow could take over Kiev in two weeks, if it wished.

Yuri Ushakov, the Russian leader's foreign policy adviser, said Putin's statement was "taken out of context and carried a completely different meaning".

Ushakov criticised Barroso, saying it was a breach of diplomatic practices and "unworthy of a serious politician" to speak publicly about a private conversation.

Several European publications this week cited diplomats quoting Barroso as saying Putin had said in a private conversation that Russian forces had the ability to take over Ukraine's capital within two weeks.

Putin's comment reportedly came in response to Barroso pointing out Ukrainian and Western claims that Russia had sharply escalated the conflict in eastern Ukraine by sending regular army units into Ukraine. Nato has estimated that at least 1,000 Russian soldiers have entered Ukraine, helping turn the tide in favour of pro-Russian insurgents.