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| Ukraine president in crisis talks with security chiefs over ‘electoral farce’ | Ukraine president in crisis talks with security chiefs over ‘electoral farce’ |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Ukraine’s president, Petro Poroshenko, is to meet his security chiefs on Tuesday after pro-Russia rebels held elections that proved they would never again be ruled by Kiev. | |
| Separatist leaders in Luhansk and Donetsk claimed victory in the votes in the east of the country, which Poroshenko condemned as an electoral farce and said had violated a peace accord agreed in September. | |
| The Ukrainian president said in televised address late on Monday that he intended to scrap a law that would have offered special status to areas in the east, including those controlled by the rebels. | The Ukrainian president said in televised address late on Monday that he intended to scrap a law that would have offered special status to areas in the east, including those controlled by the rebels. |
| Kiev says the peace accord provided only for election of local officials under Ukrainian law, and not for separatist ballots aimed at bringing in leaders of breakaway entities who seek close association or even union with Russia. It said it would open criminal cases against the organisers. | Kiev says the peace accord provided only for election of local officials under Ukrainian law, and not for separatist ballots aimed at bringing in leaders of breakaway entities who seek close association or even union with Russia. It said it would open criminal cases against the organisers. |
| “The pseudo-election torpedoed the law and sharply aggravated the situation,” Poroshenko said, vowing to deal with only “legitimately elected local self-government bodies, but not … bandits who crown themselves”. | |
| Russia has not recognised the Donetsk and Luhansk “people’s republics” as independent, but said the vote should be respected. It gave a cautious backing to the votes. President Vladimir Putin’s first word on the weekend election could come on Tuesday when he is due to appear at a Red Square ceremony in Moscow marking National Unity day. | Russia has not recognised the Donetsk and Luhansk “people’s republics” as independent, but said the vote should be respected. It gave a cautious backing to the votes. President Vladimir Putin’s first word on the weekend election could come on Tuesday when he is due to appear at a Red Square ceremony in Moscow marking National Unity day. |
| Most other countries have dismissed the vote as illegitimate and there were no recognised international observers present. Nevertheless, the poll was one more step in the de facto separation of the region from the rest of Ukraine. | Most other countries have dismissed the vote as illegitimate and there were no recognised international observers present. Nevertheless, the poll was one more step in the de facto separation of the region from the rest of Ukraine. |
| “The elected representatives of Donetsk and Luhansk regions obtained a mandate to hold negotiations with central Ukrainian authorities to solve problems … via a political dialogue,” Russia’s deputy foreign minister, Georgy Karasin, said. | “The elected representatives of Donetsk and Luhansk regions obtained a mandate to hold negotiations with central Ukrainian authorities to solve problems … via a political dialogue,” Russia’s deputy foreign minister, Georgy Karasin, said. |
| Kiev seemingly gave up its attempts to regain control of the territories militarily after a rebel push apparently backed by regular Russian forces routed Ukrainian forces in August. According to the agreement brokered in Minsk, the territories should have special status within Ukraine, but the facts on the ground show that the regions have split completely. | Kiev seemingly gave up its attempts to regain control of the territories militarily after a rebel push apparently backed by regular Russian forces routed Ukrainian forces in August. According to the agreement brokered in Minsk, the territories should have special status within Ukraine, but the facts on the ground show that the regions have split completely. |
| The rebels have threatened to launch a renewed military assault on the city of Mariupol, part of the Donetsk region but currently under Ukrainian control. | The rebels have threatened to launch a renewed military assault on the city of Mariupol, part of the Donetsk region but currently under Ukrainian control. |
| Western diplomats have been left guessing exactly what Moscow wants in the region. It seems clear the Kremlin does not want to annex the territory Crimea-style, but Moscow’s talk of negotiations between the separatists and Kiev was at odds with reports from Donetsk. | Western diplomats have been left guessing exactly what Moscow wants in the region. It seems clear the Kremlin does not want to annex the territory Crimea-style, but Moscow’s talk of negotiations between the separatists and Kiev was at odds with reports from Donetsk. |
| “Kiev has to come to terms with the idea that Donbass is not part of Ukraine,” said Roman Lyagin, head of the separatists’ electoral committee. “Whether they will recognise the result of our vote or not is Kiev’s problem.” | “Kiev has to come to terms with the idea that Donbass is not part of Ukraine,” said Roman Lyagin, head of the separatists’ electoral committee. “Whether they will recognise the result of our vote or not is Kiev’s problem.” |
| A spokesman for the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, said Berlin found it incomprehensible that “official Russian voices” should recognise the election, while the German foreign minister, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, called on Russia to respect the unity of Ukraine. | A spokesman for the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, said Berlin found it incomprehensible that “official Russian voices” should recognise the election, while the German foreign minister, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, called on Russia to respect the unity of Ukraine. |
| In the absence of real voter lists, there was no way to measure the turnout properly but there were long queues of voters at several polling stations the Guardian visited on Sunday. The majority of people said they were voting for peace and for a future separate from Ukraine. Many people expressed a desire for Russia to seize the region in the same way it annexed Crimea from Ukraine this year. | In the absence of real voter lists, there was no way to measure the turnout properly but there were long queues of voters at several polling stations the Guardian visited on Sunday. The majority of people said they were voting for peace and for a future separate from Ukraine. Many people expressed a desire for Russia to seize the region in the same way it annexed Crimea from Ukraine this year. |
| Hundreds of thousands of people have left the region, some to other parts of Ukraine and some to Russia, where they have been put up in refugee camps near the border or housed in cities across Russia. It is unclear how many will return. | Hundreds of thousands of people have left the region, some to other parts of Ukraine and some to Russia, where they have been put up in refugee camps near the border or housed in cities across Russia. It is unclear how many will return. |
| Many people on the streets of Donetsk expressed happiness at the vote, regarding it as one more step towards ensuring Kiev’s forces will not return. Artillery booms were still audible as a small contingent of Ukrainian forces remained locked in battle with the rebels at Donetsk airport. | Many people on the streets of Donetsk expressed happiness at the vote, regarding it as one more step towards ensuring Kiev’s forces will not return. Artillery booms were still audible as a small contingent of Ukrainian forces remained locked in battle with the rebels at Donetsk airport. |
| Most of those who supported a unified Ukraine left Donetsk as the situation turned nastier, while those who have remained have kept quiet in an atmosphere of fear, in which those suspected of pro-Kiev sympathies could be arrested or worse. | Most of those who supported a unified Ukraine left Donetsk as the situation turned nastier, while those who have remained have kept quiet in an atmosphere of fear, in which those suspected of pro-Kiev sympathies could be arrested or worse. |
| “I have retained a little bit of hope that maybe this will all end, that maybe we will wake up and it will be a bad dream,” said one young woman who has remained in Donetsk throughout the year, mainly due to love for her job. “But now it’s obvious that there’s going to be nothing good here. I’m going to move to Kiev.” | “I have retained a little bit of hope that maybe this will all end, that maybe we will wake up and it will be a bad dream,” said one young woman who has remained in Donetsk throughout the year, mainly due to love for her job. “But now it’s obvious that there’s going to be nothing good here. I’m going to move to Kiev.” |