Focus on Russia as Ukraine’s presidential election nears
By Karen DeYoung, WashPost, Published: May 23
Sunday’s election in Ukraine could be the beginning of the end of the crisis that has enveloped the West’s relations with Russia over the past three months. Or, if Russian-inspired violence breaks out, it could be the start of far more serious and widespread international upheaval.
The United States and its European allies believe they have taken every possible step to ensure a free and fair presidential choice. By their calculations, peaceful voting should be possible in 200 of about 215 Ukrainian electoral districts. More than 1,000 international observers are in place.
“So far,” a senior European diplomat said this week, prospects look “surprisingly good.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has called Ukraine’s current, Western-backed government illegitimate, appeared to blink Friday. Moscow will “respect the choice made by the people of Ukraine,” he said, and is prepared to “work with the new authorities after the election.”
(More here.)
Sunday’s election in Ukraine could be the beginning of the end of the crisis that has enveloped the West’s relations with Russia over the past three months. Or, if Russian-inspired violence breaks out, it could be the start of far more serious and widespread international upheaval.
The United States and its European allies believe they have taken every possible step to ensure a free and fair presidential choice. By their calculations, peaceful voting should be possible in 200 of about 215 Ukrainian electoral districts. More than 1,000 international observers are in place.
“So far,” a senior European diplomat said this week, prospects look “surprisingly good.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has called Ukraine’s current, Western-backed government illegitimate, appeared to blink Friday. Moscow will “respect the choice made by the people of Ukraine,” he said, and is prepared to “work with the new authorities after the election.”
(More here.)
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