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Russia will recognise outcome of Ukraine poll, says Vladimir Putin Russia will recognise outcome of Ukraine poll, says Vladimir Putin
(about 2 hours later)
Vladimir Putin announced on Friday that Russia will recognise the outcome of Ukraine's presidential election this weekend but said he hoped Ukraine would halt its military operation against separatists in the east. The Russian president, Vladimir Putin, has given the strongest indication yet that Russia is defusing its policy towards Ukraine, saying that Moscow would "respect the choice of the Ukrainian people" and work with the country's government after a new president is elected on Sunday.
In Kiev, Ukraine's leader urged all voters to take part in the crucial ballot to "cement the foundation of our nation", while pro-Russia insurgents continue to battle government forces in the east of the country. Previously, the Kremlin had not made it clear whether it would recognise the vote amid the ongoing violence in the east of the country, where pro-Moscow separatists have declared two independent statelets after questionable referendums held earlier this month.
Speaking at an investment forum in St Petersburg, Putin said Russia will "respect the choice of the Ukrainian people" and will work with the new leadership. He said Russia wants peace and order to be restored in Ukraine. The separatist authorities have said they will do everything possible to disrupt the elections, stating that they do not plan to hold "the presidential elections of a neighbouring state" on their territory, and there has been a campaign of terror and intimidation against polling stations and election officials.
Earlier, Putin had blamed the west for encouraging a "coup" when Viktor Yanukovych, Ukraine's pro-Russia former president was chased from power and for plunging the country into what he described as chaos and a full-scale civil war. Putin blamed the west for provoking the Ukraine crisis and said the country was now experiencing "full-blown civil war". However, he suggested on Friday that the Kremlin would recognise the vote. Since former president Viktor Yanukovych fled Ukraine in February, Moscow has referred to the interim government as a "junta" with no legitimacy. Russia has annexed the Crimea peninsula, and Kiev has accused it of stirring up an armed revolt in the east of the country as well.
In a live televised address from Kiev, acting president Oleksandr Turchynov, who is not running for election, emphasised the importance of Sunday's vote to choose a new leader. As Sunday's election approaches, violence in the east has continued, with up to 16 Ukrainian soldiers dying in an assault on a checkpoint by separatists on Thursday. On Friday, the Donbass paramilitary group, which operates with the tacit backing of Kiev, said it had been ambushed by separatist forces, with at least one dead, and many injured or taken hostage.
"Today, we are building a new European country, the foundation of which was laid by millions of Ukrainians who proved they are capable of defending their own choice and their country," Turchynov said. "We will never allow anyone to rob us of our freedom and independence, turn our Ukraine into a part of the post-Soviet empire." Voting in the east will be severely limited on Sunday, with pro-Kiev forces not fully in control of the region and a fear that violence could spike as the separatists attempt to disrupt the vote. Kiev has said it will halt its "anti-terrorism operation" against separatist forces on voting day.
Authorities in Kiev had hoped that a new president would unify the nation, where the west looks toward Europe and the east has strong ties to Russia. But they have now acknowledged it will be impossible to hold the vote in some areas of the east – especially in Donetsk and Luhansk, where insurgents have declared independence and pledged to derail the vote. Election workers and activists say gunmen there have threatened them and seized their voting materials. Alexander Ivanov, of the Committee of Voters of Ukraine, a non-governmental group monitoring election preparation in the region, said that he expected one-third of polling stations to open, at maximum, in Donetsk region. All the coordinating groups were meeting in secret, he said, and there were worries that there could be attacks on polling stations, or that groups of separatists might try to seize the official results papers at the end of the day.
João Soares, coordinator for an observation mission of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, said he expects problems with voting in fewer than 20% of the polling stations. "Most of the election committees are now meeting underground, and there have been a lot of kidnappings and threats," he said. "These are elections being carried out in conditions of a partisan fight."
Twenty-one candidates are standing on Sunday to become Ukraine's next leader. Polls show billionaire chocolate tycoon Petro Poroshenko with a commanding lead but falling short of the absolute majority needed to win in the first round; his nearest challenger is Yulia Tymoshenko, the divisive former prime minister, who is trailing by a large margin. Most of the election officials who have been kidnapped have been released shortly afterwards, but the intimidation has worked, said Ivanov, scaring off many others. Almost all the regional election committees have been stormed by armed men, who in many cases have made away with voter lists and the official electoral stamps.
If no one wins in the first round, a runoff will be held on 15 June. Most polls predict Poroshenko would win in that contest. In the west of Donetsk region, where paramilitary groups have helped to reinstall pro-Kiev authorities, the vote will go ahead as normal.
At a security conference in Moscow, Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov urged the west to reach a settlement based on mutual interests. "If we sincerely want to help the Ukrainian people overcome this crisis, it's necessary to abandon the notorious zero-sum games, stop encouraging xenophobic and neo-Nazi sentiments and get rid of dangerous megalomania," he said. In the region of Velyko Novosilka, officials said the election would proceed as normal, and that all the polling stations would work.
Russia annexed Ukraine's southern Crimean peninsula in March, triggering the worst crisis in relations with the west since the cold war. Pro-Russia insurgents have also seized government buildings in eastern Ukraine and fought government troops for more than a month. "People were scared after being subject to psychological pressure and phone calls, and many people did not want to take part, but we have found new people and we will ensure that all the stations open," said the new head of the regional administration, Alexander Arykh.
In the deadliest attack yet, pro-Russia insurgents attacked a military checkpoint and killed 16 soldiers on Thursday, casting a shadow over the presidential vote. Frontrunner Petro Poroshenko needs more than 50% to win the election in the first round, otherwise there will be a run-off three weeks later. Pro-Kiev authorities in the east are hoping for a first-round victory to avoid another period of political uncertainty. Poroshenko has said he would negotiate with political forces from the east of the country, but not with armed separatists responsible for attacks on official buildings and soldiers.
The head of the general staff of the Russian military, General Valery Gerasimov, criticised Ukrainian authorities, claiming they were using artillery and other heavy weapons against civilians. He also said that radical paramilitaries and private security companies were spearheading the Ukrainian offensive.
While many in eastern Ukraine resent the government in Kiev, they are also growing increasingly exasperated with the insurgents, whom they blame for putting civilians in the crossfire.
The village of Semenovka on the outskirts of Slovyansk, a city that has been at the centre of clashes for weeks, has seen continuous shelling by Ukrainian government forces retaliating against rebel fire.
Early on Friday a house was destroyed by mortar fire that came from Ukrainian government side. Locals reported no casualties.
Shelling continued later in the day, targeting Slovyansk, where several other buildings were also damaged. There was no word of casualties.