President Barack Obama praises Ukrainians for defying violence to vote

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/may/25/president-obama-praises-ukrainians-vote

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President Barack Obama on Sunday praised the people of Ukraine for participating in a presidential election, "despite provocations and violence".

The White House released a statement on the Ukraine election as the president visited US troops in Afghanistan, in a surprise trip.

In the statement, Obama commended "courageous Ukrainians" who cast ballots in parts of eastern Ukraine where Russian-backed separatists tried to block voting.

Russia's president, Vladimir Putin, said his country would recognise the outcome of the poll, despite recent months of tension between the two countries and fighting between Ukrainian troops and pro-Russia separatists.

Obama said the US was eager to work with Ukraine's next president – expected to be Petro Poroshenko, the “chocolate king” pro-European businessman whom exit polls suggested would win 56% of the vote – and a democratically elected parliament, and to support the country's efforts to enact political and economic reforms.

He also said Ukrainians had shown over the past few months a desire to pick their leaders "without interference" and determine their future "free of violence and intimidation".

Obama said the US supported Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity and rejected Russia's "occupation and attempted annexation of Crimea".