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Ukraine separatists to go ahead with referendum despite Putin call for delay Ukraine separatists to go ahead with referendum despite Putin call for delay
(35 minutes later)
A referendum on autonomy in east Ukraine is to go ahead despite a call from the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, to delay the vote.A referendum on autonomy in east Ukraine is to go ahead despite a call from the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, to delay the vote.
The coordinating committee of the so-called Donetsk People's Republic announced after a meeting on Thursday that it would hold the vote on Sunday as planned. The coordinating committee of the self-declared Donetsk People's Republic announced after a meeting on Thursday that it would hold the vote on Sunday as planned. It was followed by separatists in neighbouring Luhansk announcing their vote was also to go ahead.
Putin on Wednesday had urged them to delay the referendum, which many fear could be a flashpoint for further violence between Ukrainian troops and the pro-Russia militants who have seized government buildings in about a dozen cities in eastern Ukraine. Russian markets sank on the news, and in Kiev, officials promised to press on with their "anti-terrorist campaign" to retake control over the regions of Donetsk and Luhansk regardless of the rebels' decision on the poll.
The rejection came as the Polish prime minister, Donald Tusk, said Nato was treating Putin's apparent tactical retreat with caution. "We have just voted in the People's Council ... The date of the referendum was endorsed by 100% The referendum will take place on 11 May," rebel leader Denis Pushilin told reporters.
"There are millions of people who want to cast their votes. Even if we had voted against holding the referendum, it would have happened anyway. Civil war has already begun. The referendum can put a stop to it and start a political process."
The Kremlin had beat a tactical retreat over the regional referendum on Wednesday following days of soaring tension that have left dozens dead and fed fears of a civil war in Ukraine. Overt Russian support for the plebiscite could have triggered more substantive EU and US sanctions but Putin's statement, following talks with the president of Switzerland in Moscow, looked likely to delay the imposition of a harsher round of economic penalties.
While Moscow has also opposed the holding of presidential elections in Ukraine on 25 May – a ballot strongly supported by the west – Putin sounded more conciliatory, saying that the poll could be a step in the right direction.
The Russian leader insisted, however, that a presidential election should be preceded by constitutional changes in Ukraine aimed at federalising the country and handing greater powers to the regions, steps that would favour greater Russian influence over eastern Ukraine after the Kremlin annexed Crimea.
The rebels' rejection came as the Polish prime minister, Donald Tusk, said Nato was treating Putin's new stance with caution.
"The Nato assessment, in line with ours, is that we should approach President Putin's statement with great caution," Tusk told a joint news conference with the visiting Nato secretary-general, Anders Fogh Rasmussen."The Nato assessment, in line with ours, is that we should approach President Putin's statement with great caution," Tusk told a joint news conference with the visiting Nato secretary-general, Anders Fogh Rasmussen.
"This is not yet the moment when we can announce with enthusiasm that the crisis is over. We both hope that perhaps Putin's words indicate some kind of a more optimistic scenario, but today it is too early for us to confirm that.""This is not yet the moment when we can announce with enthusiasm that the crisis is over. We both hope that perhaps Putin's words indicate some kind of a more optimistic scenario, but today it is too early for us to confirm that."
Rasmussen, commenting on assertions from Putin that Russian troops had pulled back from the border with Ukraine, said: "We noted the Russian statement, but up to now we have not seen any signs that the troops are actually withdrawing."Rasmussen, commenting on assertions from Putin that Russian troops had pulled back from the border with Ukraine, said: "We noted the Russian statement, but up to now we have not seen any signs that the troops are actually withdrawing."
Asked about a Russian foreign ministry statement that Rasmussen must be blind if he could not see signs of the Russian troops pullback, Rasmussen told reporters: "I have very good vision."Asked about a Russian foreign ministry statement that Rasmussen must be blind if he could not see signs of the Russian troops pullback, Rasmussen told reporters: "I have very good vision."
The US deputy Secretary of State, William Burns said on Thursday Russia was heading down a "dangerous and irresponsible path" over Ukraine and that Washington and its partners would steadily step up pressure on Moscow until it changed course.
After talks with Kazakh president, Nursultan Nazarbayev, in Astana, Burns told reporters the situation in Ukraine was "extremely combustible".
"We do not seek confrontation with Russia ... but so long as Russia continues down its current dangerous and irresponsible path we will continue to work with our international partners to apply steadily increasing counter-pressure," he said.
Asked about the prospects for resolving the crisis in Ukraine after Putin took what appeared to be a softer stance on Wednesday, he said: "The short answer is: 'We'll see'."