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| Russia Backs Plan by Ukraine Separatists for an Early Election | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| MOSCOW — Setting the stage for renewed tensions with the West, the Russian government said on Tuesday it would recognize the results of coming elections in the separatist-controlled areas of eastern Ukraine, where rebel leaders have scheduled a vote in defiance of the Ukrainian government and in violation of an agreement signed last month in Minsk, Belarus. | MOSCOW — Setting the stage for renewed tensions with the West, the Russian government said on Tuesday it would recognize the results of coming elections in the separatist-controlled areas of eastern Ukraine, where rebel leaders have scheduled a vote in defiance of the Ukrainian government and in violation of an agreement signed last month in Minsk, Belarus. |
| The agreement between Kiev and pro-Russian separatists, signed on Sept. 5 in Minsk, and a follow-up document signed later last month, had called for local elections to be held in accordance with Ukrainian law. The date for nationwide elections for local offices was set at Dec. 7 by the Ukrainian Parliament, but the separatist leaders announced plans to hold the balloting on their own schedule, in early November. | The agreement between Kiev and pro-Russian separatists, signed on Sept. 5 in Minsk, and a follow-up document signed later last month, had called for local elections to be held in accordance with Ukrainian law. The date for nationwide elections for local offices was set at Dec. 7 by the Ukrainian Parliament, but the separatist leaders announced plans to hold the balloting on their own schedule, in early November. |
| The Russian foreign minister, Sergey V. Lavrov, told Russian news agencies that the elections to be held in the embattled regions of Donetsk and Luhansk were “important for legitimizing the authority” of the separatist governments there. | The Russian foreign minister, Sergey V. Lavrov, told Russian news agencies that the elections to be held in the embattled regions of Donetsk and Luhansk were “important for legitimizing the authority” of the separatist governments there. |
| “We expect the elections to take place as agreed,” Mr. Lavrov said. “And we of course will recognize their results.” | “We expect the elections to take place as agreed,” Mr. Lavrov said. “And we of course will recognize their results.” |
| Mr. Lavrov’s comments appeared to call into question the details of the agreements just a day after he said that Russia would respect the results of Ukraine’s national Parliamentary election, which was held on Sunday. | Mr. Lavrov’s comments appeared to call into question the details of the agreements just a day after he said that Russia would respect the results of Ukraine’s national Parliamentary election, which was held on Sunday. |
| In that race, pro-Western parties led by President Petro O. Poroshenko and Prime Minister Arseniy P. Yatsenyuk won the most support from Ukrainian voters who voiced a preference for continuing their country’s push toward Europe and rejected the right-wing nationalist parties that President Vladimir V. Putin and other Russian officials have accused of leading a takeover of the Ukrainian government. | In that race, pro-Western parties led by President Petro O. Poroshenko and Prime Minister Arseniy P. Yatsenyuk won the most support from Ukrainian voters who voiced a preference for continuing their country’s push toward Europe and rejected the right-wing nationalist parties that President Vladimir V. Putin and other Russian officials have accused of leading a takeover of the Ukrainian government. |
| With nearly 95 percent of votes counted on Tuesday, the People’s Front led by Mr. Yatsenyuk had 22.2 percent and the president’s coalition, Bloc Petro Poroshenko, had 21.8 percent. They were followed by a new reformist party called Self-Help with 11 percent; the Opposition Bloc, which includes allies of the former president, Viktor F. Yanukovych, with 9.2 percent; the populist Radical Party with 7.4 percent and Fatherland, led by a former prime minister, Yulia V. Tymoshenko, with 5.7 percent. | With nearly 95 percent of votes counted on Tuesday, the People’s Front led by Mr. Yatsenyuk had 22.2 percent and the president’s coalition, Bloc Petro Poroshenko, had 21.8 percent. They were followed by a new reformist party called Self-Help with 11 percent; the Opposition Bloc, which includes allies of the former president, Viktor F. Yanukovych, with 9.2 percent; the populist Radical Party with 7.4 percent and Fatherland, led by a former prime minister, Yulia V. Tymoshenko, with 5.7 percent. |
| Voting was not possible in Crimea, which Russia annexed in March, though some candidates from Crimea were included on the parties’ lists of candidates, including that of Mr. Poroshenko, and they will become members of Parliament. | Voting was not possible in Crimea, which Russia annexed in March, though some candidates from Crimea were included on the parties’ lists of candidates, including that of Mr. Poroshenko, and they will become members of Parliament. |
| In the east, where hundreds of thousands of people have fled the fighting between government forces and rebels, despite the truce agreement, turnout was extremely low. Separatist leaders blocked voting in more than half of the districts in Donetsk and Luhansk. In the 45th District in Donetsk, for instance, only 2,000 people voted on Sunday compared with more than 114,000 people who voted in the Parliamentary elections in 2012. | In the east, where hundreds of thousands of people have fled the fighting between government forces and rebels, despite the truce agreement, turnout was extremely low. Separatist leaders blocked voting in more than half of the districts in Donetsk and Luhansk. In the 45th District in Donetsk, for instance, only 2,000 people voted on Sunday compared with more than 114,000 people who voted in the Parliamentary elections in 2012. |
| In a statement on Monday praising Ukraine for the Parliamentary elections, President Obama called on Russia to “ensure that its proxies in eastern Ukraine” hold the local elections in early December, in accordance with the Minsk agreement. | In a statement on Monday praising Ukraine for the Parliamentary elections, President Obama called on Russia to “ensure that its proxies in eastern Ukraine” hold the local elections in early December, in accordance with the Minsk agreement. |
| Russia has denied that it can influence political decisions made by the rebels, although its border with Ukraine remains porous and is clearly an important conduit for fighters, guns and money. | Russia has denied that it can influence political decisions made by the rebels, although its border with Ukraine remains porous and is clearly an important conduit for fighters, guns and money. |
| “The United States will not recognize any election held in separatist-held areas that does not comport with Ukrainian law and is not held with the express consent and under the authority of the Ukrainian government,” Mr. Obama said | “The United States will not recognize any election held in separatist-held areas that does not comport with Ukrainian law and is not held with the express consent and under the authority of the Ukrainian government,” Mr. Obama said |
| In public comments on Tuesday, Mr. Putin said that the Minsk agreement did not specify that voting had to take place “in accordance with,” but only “in coordination with” Ukrainian law. | In public comments on Tuesday, Mr. Putin said that the Minsk agreement did not specify that voting had to take place “in accordance with,” but only “in coordination with” Ukrainian law. |
| The basis for his interpretation was not clear as the official text of the Minsk accord, released by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, which helped coordinate the negotiations, stated “in accordance” with Ukrainian election law. | The basis for his interpretation was not clear as the official text of the Minsk accord, released by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, which helped coordinate the negotiations, stated “in accordance” with Ukrainian election law. |
| Mr. Putin also said that Kiev had broken a previously undisclosed agreement to hold the elections before Nov. 3. | Mr. Putin also said that Kiev had broken a previously undisclosed agreement to hold the elections before Nov. 3. |
| “One can argue as much as he wants,” Mr. Putin said on Friday. “Most important is to end the war immediately. If Ukraine wants to maintain its territorial integrity, and we also want this, then they needn’t cling to some village or another, it is pointless.” | “One can argue as much as he wants,” Mr. Putin said on Friday. “Most important is to end the war immediately. If Ukraine wants to maintain its territorial integrity, and we also want this, then they needn’t cling to some village or another, it is pointless.” |