He also said Moscow had withdrawn troops from the border with Ukraine.
President Putin's comments appeared to open a way to resolving the East-West standoff over Ukraine.
The pro-Russian separatists behind the referendum said they had the utmost respect for President Putin and that they would consider whether to postpone Sunday's referendum.
"We call on the representatives of southeastern Ukraine, the supporters of the federalisation of the country, to postpone the referendum planned for 11 May," President Putin said.
He said this would create conditions for dialogue between the Ukrainian authorities in Kiev and the separatists, some of whom want greater autonomy while others demand secession.
President Putin added that Russians troops that had been placed near the border with Ukraine during the crisis, fuelling tension with the European Union, NATO and the United States, had been withdrawn.
"We're always being told that our forces on the Ukrainian border are a concern. We have withdrawn them.
"Today they are not on the Ukrainian border, they are in places where they conduct their regular tasks on training grounds," President Putin said.
He made his comments after talks with the head of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, who said the security and rights body would soon propose a "road map" to defuse the Ukraine crisis.
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- Ukrainian forces seized the rebel-held city hall in the eastern port city of Mariupol overnight, driving out pro-Russian activists.
Ukraine's Channel 5 television said earlier, the Ukrainian National Guard had seized the administrative centre in Mariupol,
The city is mainly Russian-speaking and a key component in the self-declared breakaway People's Republic of Donetsk that will hold a referendum on secession this weekend.
However, witnesses said the soldiers left after smashing furniture and office equipment.
In the morning, pro-Russian activists were rebuilding barricades outside the building where separatist flags flew and patriotic songs blared out from loudspeakers.
It was at least the second such short-lived change of hands, pro-Kiev militants mounted an overnight raid on 24 April, forcing pro-Moscow activists out, but only for the day.
Late yesterday, pro-Russian militants in Mariupol told Russian media that at least one checkpoint they had set up on the edge of the city was attacked.
One told Itar-Tass news agency that one person was killed in the raid, but there was no confirmation of that.
Local media in the city published pictures of barricades of buses and burning tyres yesterday evening.
[rte.ie]
7/5/14
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Putin für Verschiebung des Ostukraine-Referendums...
ReplyDeleteWladimir Putin fordert, das umstrittene Referendum in der Ostukraine zu verschieben. Russlands Truppen sollen sich von der Grenze zurückziehen, und ein Runder Tisch mit Separatisten ist im Gespräch................http://www.welt.de/politik/ausland/article127732635/Putin-fuer-Verschiebung-des-Ostukraine-Referendums.html
7/5/14
Putin dice por primera vez que apoya las presidenciales en Ucrania...
ReplyDeleteEl presidente ruso insta a los prorrusos a "crear las condiciones para el diálogo"
Exige a los separatistas que pospongan el referéndum independentista del 11-M
Asegura que Moscú ha retirado las retirada sus tropas de la frontera con Ucrania
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El presidente ruso, Vladimir Putin, pidió el aplazamiento del referéndum separatista convocado por los prorrusos del este de Ucrania para el 11 de mayo, al tiempo que apoyó por primera vez la celebración de elecciones presidenciales en Ucrania el próximo 25 de mayo.
El líder ruso ha dado un giro de 180 grados y ha rebajado notablemente la tensión al asegurar que las elecciones son "un paso en la buena dirección",después de que varios portavoces del Kremlin exigieran la anulación de dichos comicios debido a la ola de violencia que atraviesa el país.
Pero Putin no sólo respalda ahora las bondades del plebiscito, si no que ha anunciado la retirada sus tropas de la frontera con Ucrania para trasladarlas a sus bases y polígonos de entrenamiento regular. Sin embargo, la OTAN ha asegura que no tiene ninguna información de que Rusia haya iniciado ningún repliegue de sus tropas desplegadas en la frontera................http://www.elmundo.es/internacional/2014/05/07/536a4abc22601df84d8b457b.html
7/5/14