Russian President Vladimir Putin voiced support Thursday for Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko, who sacked his government earlier amid infighting among top government officials, and warned against dramatizing the crisis in the country.

"I'm convinced the Ukrainian people and leadership will find a right decision," Putin said in Berlin, where he was on a one-day visit, after Yushchenko fired Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko and her team, the Itar-Tass news agency reported.

Yushchenko sacked the government after three days of talks with Tymoshenko over accusations of high-level corruption produced no compromise.

Putin said he had a telephone conversation with Yushchenko and that he believed the situation in Ukraine is under Yushchenko's control.

"Ukraine is going through a difficult time. There is nothing extraordinary of the resignation of the Ukrainian government ahead of the upcoming parliamentary elections," Putin said.

"Russia will contribute to stabilizing the situation in this country," the Russian president said.

Putin cautioned against dramatizing the events in Ukraine, a former Soviet republic that saw political upheaval last year during the hotly disputed presidential election which brought Yushchenko to power.

Source: Xinhua