ALJAZEERA: Russian President Vladimir Putin called on rebels in eastern Ukraine to postpone a referendum on secession planned for Sunday, adding that Moscow had also withdrawn troops from the border. But Putin also made clear that he would continue to oppose Ukraine’s May 25 presidential election unless constitutional changes are implemented first — and insisted that Kyiv begin negotiations with pro-Russian rebels…
The order to pull back Russian troops from the Ukrainian border could ease tensions between the former Soviet allies. However, both NATO and Washington said they had seen no evidence of the retreat. The White House asserted its belief that the planned referendum should be canceled, not merely postponed.
Nonetheless, Putin’s comments appeared to open a way to resolving the standoff over Ukraine. The pro-Russian groups behind the referendum said they had the utmost respect for Putin and that they would consider on Thursday whether to postpone Sunday’s referendum, according to a report by Reuters. However, The Associated Press said pro-Russian activists calling themselves the Donetsk People’s Republic told the news agency they would still hold the referendum on Sunday… (more)
