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Derechos | Equipo Nizkor
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| Information | | |
Derechos | Equipo Nizkor
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07May14
Russia asking pro-federalization forces in Ukraine to postpone referendum -- Putin
Russia is asking forces supporting federalization of Ukraine to postpone the referendum on the issue from May 11 to a later date in order to create relevant conditions, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday.
Putin urged Kiev authorities to stop punitive operations in the South-East of Ukraine as they were only aggravating the situation.
"Russia calls for an immediate halt to all military and punitive operations in the South-East of Ukraine," Putin said after talks with Swiss President and Chairperson-in-Office of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Didier Burkhalter on Wednesday, May 7.
He noted that "this method of settling the internal political conflict is not a reliable way of resolving all political disputes". "On the contrary, they deepen the divisions," he added.
Putin added that Russia is interested in the speediest possible settlement in Ukraine that would take into account the interests of all citizens no matter where they live.
"Russia believes that the crisis that has broken out in Ukraine and is actively evolving by the worst possible scenario is to be blamed on those who organised the state coup in Kiev," the president noted. He stressed that the masterminds and perpetrators of the coup had not bothered to disarm far-right and nationalist elements in the country.
Putin said: "The West's statements that the key to the resolution of the crisis in Ukraine lies in Russia is a ruse invented by Western partners who have created a deadlock situation in that country."
He added they were sharing responsibility for the current situation in Ukraine.
Merkel's proposal to organize roundtable over Ukraine backed
Putin called for establishing a direct dialogue between Kiev and the South-East of Ukraine.
He supported German Chancellor Angela Merkel's proposal to organize a roundtable with all parties to the conflict in Ukraine.
"We support [this] and think that this is a good proposal and we will facilitate it in every way we can," Putin said adding that the proposal had been discussed during his telephone conversation with Merkel last week.
The president did not say whether a new conference on Ukraine could be held after the agreement reached at the previous one had basically been wrecked.
"I don't know how realistic Geneva-2 on Ukraine would be," Putin said, adding that "there is no lasting solution to the crisis in Ukraine other than an open, honest and equal dialogue".
Putin urges to set free political prisoners
The president also urged to set free all political prisoners and welcomed the release of Pavel Gubarev, the 'people's governor' of Donetsk.
"We welcome the release of Mr. Gubarev from prison in Kiev but we are waiting for the release of all political prisoners [in Ukraine]," Putin said after talks with Didier Burkhalter.
[Source: Itar Tass, Moscow, 07May14]
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