Has Putin betrayed Ukraine’s breakaway republics?

[V]ladimir Putin’s request to overturn the decree of the Federation Council “on the use of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation on the territory of Ukraine” received mixed reactions. Now it is not Kiev, but the south-east of Ukraine that condemns Putin for the move. Ukrainian President Poroshenko welcomed the decision of his Russian counterpart as a step that would improve the bilateral relations.

“When things evolved to the stage of negotiations, when consultations started, the decree became excessive, and the measure was removed, as a political tool. I think that Putin can obtain permission from the Federation Council within 15 minutes at any time. And he made a very important decision before traveling to Austria, to the West, where he was intended to lobby the South Stream project. The South Stream, along with the Nord Stream gas system will completely cover their excess capacity for the Ukrainian transit. This objective is more important and more relevant for the Russian Federation and for Putin. So the Russian president is not giving up, but there is a complex layered game going on, where Russia may use all necessary and appropriate tools. If necessary, Putin will get the mandate to send troops to Ukraine within less than an hour.”