U.S., EU Head Slam 'Illegal' Ukraine Referendum
The United States said Monday it does not recognize the "illegal referendum" held over the weekend in east Ukraine that called for the region to break away from Kiev.
State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said the vote organized by pro-Russian elements in Donetsk and Lugansk "was an attempt to create further division and disorder in the country."
"We do not recognize the illegal referendum," she said. "It was illegal under Ukraine law."
Pro-Russian separatists claimed a massive victory in the two east Ukraine regions, while Kiev called the balloting a farce.
Psaki added that the "methodology was also highly suspect, with reports of ... pre-marked ballots, children voting, voting for people who were absent, and even voting in Moscow and St. Petersburg."
Some people had also voted more than once, Psaki alleged.
The United States and its allies remain focused on the presidential elections organized by the interim government in Kiev for May 25.
"They're very much on track with preparations for the elections," Psaki told reporters, adding that there were already a number of monitors on the ground.
She also denounced threats from the Russian company Gazprom to cut off gas supplies to Ukraine because of debts totaling $3.51 billion (2.55 billion euros).
"Obviously, we don't think... access to energy should be used as a threatening tool," Psaki said.
Meanwhile, European Council President Herman Van Rompuy denounced the separatist vote in southeastern Ukraine as illegal and said Brussels was ready to take "far-reaching" steps against Russia if it failed to de-escalate the crisis.
"We do not recognize the so-called referenda of yesterday. They are illegal, illegitimate and not credible. They are a way to stir up division among Ukrainians," Van Rompuy told reporters in Kiev.
Van Rompuy, who represents the European Union's 28 leaders, flew to Kiev on Monday for the first time in the months-long crisis to meet with Ukraine's interim pro-Western government.
After EU foreign ministers agreed in Brussels Monday to extend sanctions against Russians involved in the crisis to 13 more people and two companies, Van Rompuy warned of further action.
"The union has agreed that further steps by Russia to destabilize the situation in Ukraine would lead to additional far-reaching consequences for relations in a broad range of areas," he said.
"Preparatory work on this is underway. We are ready to take further decisions if necessary."
He said the only vote the EU will recognize is the presidential election on May 25 and said it was "urgent" that Russia calls on armed separatists in eastern Ukraine to disarm and leave public buildings.
Source: Agence France Presse
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