Russia Tells Western Critics To Put Ukrainian People First

Russia rejected accusations that it is acting aggressively toward neighbor Ukraine, telling its Western critics Monday to put aside "geopolitical calculations" in favor of the interests of the people in the former Soviet republic. Moscow has defended its parliament's approval of President Vladimir Putin's use of military force to protect its citizens in the Crimean Peninsula -- an autonomous region of eastern Ukraine with strong loyalty to Russia -- despite its G8 partners condemning its military buildup in the country and demanding that it withdraw.

"I repeat: This is a matter of defending our citizens and our compatriots, of defending the most important human right -- the right to life," Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said at a U.N. human rights meeting in Geneva, Switzerland. "Those who attempt to interpret the situation as an act of aggression and threaten us with sanctions and boycotts -- these are the very same partners of ours who consistently have encouraged political forces close to them to deliver an ultimatum and refuse dialogue, to ignore the concerns of southern and eastern regions of Ukraine, which has ultimately polarized Ukrainian society."

 How will the West respond to Ukraine? NATO calls emergency meeting on Ukraine Obama to Russia: 'There will be costs' Tensions rise even higher in Ukraine.  He added that Moscow was calling "for a responsible approach, to put aside geopolitical calculations, and above all to put the interests of the Ukrainian people first." He accused Ukraine's new authorities -- in place since President Viktor Yanukovych was ousted last week -- of attacking minorities and violating human rights.

Separately, Russia's Finance Ministry said Monday that it would make a decision on financial aid to Crimea by the end of the day. In Kiev, Ukrainian interim Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk, who has accused Moscow of declaring war, vowed that his West-leaning government would not give up the Crimean region. "Nobody will give Crimea away. ... There are no grounds for the use of force against civilians and Ukrainians, and for the entry of the Russian military contingent," he said at a news conference. "Russia never had any grounds and never will."

Ukraine's shaky new government has mobilized troops and called up military reservists as officials say signs of Russian military intervention in Crimea are clear. A senior U.S. administration official said on Sunday that Russian forces "have complete operational control of the Crimean Peninsula." The official said the U.S. estimates there are 6,000 Russian ground and naval forces in the region.

"There is no question that they are in an occupation position -- flying in reinforcements and settling in," another senior administration official said