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| Germany urges Russia to respect unity of Ukraine after Donetsk elections | Germany urges Russia to respect unity of Ukraine after Donetsk elections |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| The German foreign minister has called on Russia to respect “the unity of Ukraine” after a controversial vote in the rebel-held east of the country gave victory to pro-Russia rebels. | The German foreign minister has called on Russia to respect “the unity of Ukraine” after a controversial vote in the rebel-held east of the country gave victory to pro-Russia rebels. |
| Frank-Walter Steinmeier said the elections had “gone against the letter and the spirit of the Minsk agreement” aimed at bringing peace to eastern Ukraine and said Berlin would “judge Russia and President Putin on their statements that the unity of Ukraine cannot be called into question”. | Frank-Walter Steinmeier said the elections had “gone against the letter and the spirit of the Minsk agreement” aimed at bringing peace to eastern Ukraine and said Berlin would “judge Russia and President Putin on their statements that the unity of Ukraine cannot be called into question”. |
| Russia endorsed a victory for Ukraine’s pro-Moscow rebel leadership late on Sunday after a vote the EU’s foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, called a new obstacle for peace. | Russia endorsed a victory for Ukraine’s pro-Moscow rebel leadership late on Sunday after a vote the EU’s foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, called a new obstacle for peace. |
| The hastily-arranged poll was boycotted by all mainstream international observers and saw only a handful of marginal rightwing politicians from Europe claim to be monitoring the vote. | The hastily-arranged poll was boycotted by all mainstream international observers and saw only a handful of marginal rightwing politicians from Europe claim to be monitoring the vote. |
| “We respect the expression of the will of the residents of south-east [Ukraine],” the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement, cited by local news agencies. | “We respect the expression of the will of the residents of south-east [Ukraine],” the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement, cited by local news agencies. |
| “Those elected have received a mandate to resolve the practical issues of re-establishing normal life in the region.” | “Those elected have received a mandate to resolve the practical issues of re-establishing normal life in the region.” |
| The emboldened rebel leadership in the two separatist enclaves appeared in little mood for compromise after their victories were confirmed. | The emboldened rebel leadership in the two separatist enclaves appeared in little mood for compromise after their victories were confirmed. |
| “Ukraine does not want peace, as it claims. Obviously it is playing a double game,” Alexander Zakharchenko, the newly elected president of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic, told journalists. | |
| Zakharchenko, already the undisputed leader in Donetsk, took 81% of the vote, according to rebel election officials, against 9% each for his two opponents. | Zakharchenko, already the undisputed leader in Donetsk, took 81% of the vote, according to rebel election officials, against 9% each for his two opponents. |
| In the neighbouring Luhansk region, current insurgent supremo, Igor Plotnitsky, a former Soviet army officer, was on 63% with about a third of the ballots tallied, Russian media reported. | |
| In the runup to the vote rebels carried out heavy shelling of government positions across the conflict zone. The UN says more than 4,000 people have died since fighting started in April. |