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| Ukraine crisis: Russia to recognise rebel vote in Donetsk and Luhansk | Ukraine crisis: Russia to recognise rebel vote in Donetsk and Luhansk |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Russia says it will recognise the results of controversial separatist elections in eastern Ukraine, which the rebels plan to hold on 2 November. | Russia says it will recognise the results of controversial separatist elections in eastern Ukraine, which the rebels plan to hold on 2 November. |
| Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said elections in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions "will be important to legitimise the authorities there". | Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said elections in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions "will be important to legitimise the authorities there". |
| But Ukraine and Western governments say the elections should not go ahead. They accuse Russia of arming the rebels. | |
| Ukrainian troops have been battling the pro-Russian rebels in the east. | |
| A shaky truce took effect on 5 September, but there have been many violations and the situation remains very volatile. | |
| In Kiev pro-Western parties are leading after Ukraine's national parliamentary elections on Sunday. | |
| Ukraine has urged Russia to put pressure on the separatists not to hold rival elections in the east. | Ukraine has urged Russia to put pressure on the separatists not to hold rival elections in the east. |
| But Mr Lavrov said "we expect the elections will go ahead as agreed, and we will of course recognise the results". | But Mr Lavrov said "we expect the elections will go ahead as agreed, and we will of course recognise the results". |
| A Ukrainian diplomat told the AFP news agency that Moscow's support for the rebel vote would "undermine the peace process". |