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Pro-Russian rebels to hold ‘east referendum’

Russian Prez’s policy change has no effect on pro-Russia separatists

Moscow/Kiev: Pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine ignored a public call by Russian President Vladimir Putin to postpone a referendum on independence, declaring they would go ahead on May 11 with a vote that could lead to war.

Denis Pushilin, a leader of the self-declared separatist Donetsk People’s Republic, said on Thursday that the “People’s Council” had voted unanimously to hold the plebiscite as planned.

“Civil war has already begun. The referendum can put a stop to it and start a political process,” he told reporters.

The announcement coincided with a sharp change of tone from Moscow, which had signalled a pullback from confrontation on Wednesday with Mr Putin’s call for the vote to be delayed and a declaration that troops were withdrawing from Ukraine’s border.

Russian markets sank on the news, and in Kiev, officials promised to press on with their “anti-terrorist campaign” to retake control over the eastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk regardless of the rebels’ decision on the vote.

Political analysts said Putin may have expected the rebels to go ahead with the referendum, showing that they were not under his orders.
By distancing himself from a process that will not be recognised by the West Mr Putin may also be hoping to avoid further sanctions as their effect begins to be felt in Russia. Russia’s defence ministry said Nato and the US, which both said they had seen no sign of a Russian withdrawal, were misleading all about the army

( Source : reuters )
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