He said that it is a mistake if Western countries acknowledge this authority and he is not yet ready for Alexandre Turchinov, who inherited authority from President Viktor Yanukovych.  The Russian Prime Minister said there exists a real threat to the lives and interests of Russian citizens in Ukraine. Regarding oil and gas negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, Mevedev said that any further negotiations must be thoroughly discussed between Ukrainian enterprises and the government. Russian News agency Interfax quoted Medvedev as saying that: “We don’t work with individuals. This is an issue between the two countries".