Russia says will not ignore Crimea leader's request for help

Moscow: Russia will not ignore a request to President Vladimir Putin from the prime minister of the Ukrainian region of Crimea for help in restoring calm to the peninsula, the Kremlin said on Saturday.

The newly-chosen prime minister of the Ukrainian southern region of Crimea on Saturday called on Putin to help restore "peace and calm" to the Black Sea peninsula, amid a standoff with the new authorities in Kiev.

"Russia will not leave this request without attention," a source in the Kremlin administration was quoted as saying by all Russia's main news agencies after the plea from the newly-appointed pro-Russia Crimea premier Sergiy Aksyonov.

Aksyonov said in an address quoted by local media and broadcast in full by Russian state television: "Taking into account my responsibility for the life and security of citizens, I ask Russian President Vladimir Putin to help in ensuring peace and calm on the territory of Crimea."

Russian gas giant Gazprom said on Saturday that Ukraine owes a "huge" debt of $1.55 billion for unpaid gas and may not be able to keep the discount it currently enjoys for Russian gas imports.

"We have good relations with Ukraine, the transit is working, but they just need to pay for the gas. The debt is $1.549 billion, it is huge," Gazprom spokesman Sergei Kupriyanov told the RIA Novosti news agency.

"Clearly, with this debt Ukraine may not be able to keep its discount (to market price) for the gas. The agreements on the discount foresee a full and timely payment."