Putin rejects Obama's Crimea sanctions, says Russia cannot ignore calls for help

Russia's President Vladimir Putin has reportedly rejected the US's opposition to Russia's military takeover in Crimea saying his country could not "ignore calls for help" from ethnic Russians in Ukraine.

US President Barack Obama had recently ordered sanctions on individuals and entities responsible for the Russian intervention in Crimea or for stealing the assets of the Ukrainian people, authorizing the Treasury department to impose them.

According to the Washington Post, after announcing his sanctions order and condemning a planned Crimean referendum on joining Russia as a violation of both Ukrainian and international law, Obama spoke to Putin on the phone for an hour in his latest outreach to the Russian leader.

Putin maintained that both he and Obama were of different opinions on the issue, adding that Ukraine's new, pro-Western authorities had acted illegitimately over the eastern, southeastern and Crimea regions.

The Russian president came clear on his stand, saying that Russia could not ignore calls for help, and it was acting accordingly, in full compliance with international law.