Putin Says Sanctions On Russia Nothing To Do With Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said sanctions on Russia were nothing to do with the situation in Ukraine, but merely a strategic weapon to hinder Russia's development. Speaking during an annual live televised question-and-answer session, he said Kyiv was "not hurrying" to implement the Minsk agreement to resolve the conflict with Russian-backed separatists in easern Ukraine. Later, he defended his decision to sell S-300 missiles to Iran, insisting they were never covered by UN sanctions on Teheran. (Reuters)