- Title: UKRAINE: Pro-Russian separatist mayor says region needs Russian troops
- Date: 12th May 2014
- Summary: SLAVIANSK, UKRAINE (MAY 12, 2014) (REUTERS) PEOPLE OUTSIDE SLAVIANSK ADMINISTRATIVE BUILDING LILIA BARTASHEVICH, HEAD OF SLAVIANSK ELECTION COMMISSION AND VYACHESLAV PONOMARYOV, SLAVIANSK SEPARATIST LEADER, ARRIVING FOR NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) LILIA BARTASHEVICH, HEAD OF SLAVIANSK ELECTION COMMISSION, SAYING: "Voted "for" 70.773 people or 97,5 percent, "against" 1325 votes or 1,8 percent." MEDIA (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) SLAVIANSK SEPARATIST LEADER VYACHESLAV PONOMARYOV, SAYING: "I got convinced that within three days we can organise any kind of referendum, election, gatherings. Three days - and we vote for anything one can wish." MEDIA (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) SLAVIANSK SEPARATIST LEADER VYACHESLAV PONOMARYOV, SAYING: "We need Russian troops as a guarantor of stability for our people, first of all and for our calm life in the future." VARIOUS OF PEOPLE ON SQUARE LUHANSK, UKRAINE (MAY 12, 2014) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF ARTISTS PERFORMING ON STAGE PEOPLE WATCHING FLAGS PEOPLE WATCHING PEOPLE ON SQUARE
- Embargoed: 27th May 2014 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Ukraine
- Country: Ukraine
- Topics: Conflict,International Relations,Politics
- Reuters ID: LVABY0U0ZKR2NOBRIN73X9INJ4N9
- Story Text: The rebel mayor of the pro-Russian separatist Ukrainian city of Slaviansk said on Monday (May 12) his eastern region needed Russian troops to provide stability and peace.
Vyacheslav Ponomaryov, speaking the day after an unofficial referendum that rebels say mustered 80 percent support for self-rule, described Ukrainian troops as occupiers.
According to the head of Slaviansk election commission Lilia Bartashevich the overwhelming majority of the town's residents supported the self-rule of the Donetsk republic in yesterday's vote.
"Voted "for" 70.773 people or 97,5 percent, "against" 1325 votes or 1,8 percent," said Bartashevich at a joint news conference with Ponomaryov.
Ponomaryov praised the way the referendum was organised.
"I got convinced that within three days we can organise any kind of referendum, election, gatherings. Three days - and we vote for anything one can wish," said Ponomaryov.
He also said the region needs Russian troops to guarantee stability and safety of its residents.
"We need Russian troops as a guarantor of stability for our people, first of all and for our calm life in the future," said Ponomaryov.
Pro-Moscow rebel leaders in eastern Ukraine called on Monday (May 12) for their region to become part of Russia after declaring victory in a weekend referendum on self-rule.
The separatist region of Donetsk appealed to Moscow to consider its absorption into Russia, a move that would echo the annexation of Ukraine's Crimean peninsula after a similar referendum earlier this year.
The call is likely to anger the government in Kiev and Western nations that accuse Russia of stirring up unrest in the east following the overthrow of a pro-Moscow president in February by protesters demanding closer links with Europe. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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