Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that favorable conditions should be created for Ukrainian citizens to work in Russia.

"According to official figures, about 1.5 million people from Ukraine are working in our country, whereas [their total number], according to various estimates, is up to five million people. This is a large number of people, for whom, of course, favorable conditions should be created so that they can freely live here, work, move across the border, and help their families who are waiting for their support at home," he said at a meeting with Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych on Tuesday.

In this regard, Putin stressed the importance of developing humanitarian cooperation between Russia and Ukraine.

"It's important for people, for those who do not just have relatives - and there are a lot of such families in Russia and Ukraine – it's also important for those currently working in Russia," he said.