Ukrainian authorities and snap presidential elections illegitimate - Putin

MOSCOW, April 17 (Itar-Tass) - Russia is not refusing contacts with Ukraine although Moscow considers the current authorities in that country as “illegitimate,” Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday. “We really consider the [Ukrainian] authorities as illegitimate and they cannot be legitimate as they have no all-nation mandate to run the country,” Putin said during his annual Q&A session. “At the same time we are not refusing contacts with whoever it may be.” The Russian president said the contacts on the ministerial level are still open between Russia and Ukraine. “Our ministers maintaining contacts with their Ukrainian colleagues,” he said. “[Prime Minister] Dmitry Medvedev talked to [Arseny] Yatsenyuk, [State Duma speaker Sergei] Naryshkin held talks with [Ukrainian parliament-appointed acting head of state Alexander] Turchinov.” Putin said Russia also did not consider legitimate the early presidential election in Ukraine, slated for May 25, as the country still had the legitimate president, Viktor Yanukovich. “In line with the Ukrainian Constitution, unless it will be amended, it is impossible to hold new presidential elections if the country still has the legitimate president,” he said. “If they want the elections to be legitimate, then it will be probably necessary to amend the Constitution and start talking about decentralization and federalism. This is what common sense suggests.” “They can also continue acting beyond the frames of the common sense, but I have no idea where it would lead to,” he said. The Russian leader also blasted the current presidential campaign in Ukraine, pointing out some incidents, in which some presidential candidates were beaten up, doused with ink or were simply prohibited talking with their electorate. “If all this is going to continue in the same manner, then we [Russia] will definitely not recognize as legitimate all developments, which would follow after May 25,” he said. However, Putin said that Russia was ready for talks with all Ukrainian presidential candidates, including with former Prime Minister Yulia Timoshenko and tycoon Pyotr Poroshenko. “We keep contacts with everyone. Poroshenko is the leader of the presidential race currently. Significant part of his business is located here in Russia and he produces candies here,” Putin said. “I know personally Timoshenko.” Violent anti-government protests, which started in November 2013, when the country suspended the signing of an association agreement with the European Union in favour of closer ties with Russia, resulted in a coup in February 2014. President Viktor Yanukovich had to leave Ukraine citing security concerns. New people were brought to power amid riots in Ukraine in February. The Verkhovna Rada, the country’s unicameral parliament, appointed its new speaker, Alexander Turchinov, as interim head of state and approved a new government led by Arseny Yatsenyuk, the leader of the parliamentary faction of the Batkivshchina party. The Rada also set early presidential elections for May 25 and ruled to release from prison Timoshenko, who had been jailed since 2011 for abuse of power over a 2009 gas deal with Russia that the then Ukrainian authorities said was unprofitable for the country. A total of 23 people were registered by Ukraine’s Central Election Commission to run for the post of the country’s president. Nine registered candidates were nominated by political parties. Thus, Timoshenko was nominated by the Batkivshchina (Fatherland) party, former Defense Minister Anatoly Gritsenko - by the Civil Position party, former Minister of Revenues and Duties Alexander Klimenko - by the Ukrainian People’s Party, former Minister of Social Policy Natalia Korolevskaya - by the Ukraine-Forward party, Vasily Kuibida - by the People’s Movement of Ukraine (Rukh), Oleg Lyashko - by the Radical Party, Pyotr Simonenko - by the Ukrainian Communist Party, Oleg Tyagnibok - by the Svoboda (Freedom) party, and Dmitry Yarosh - by the radical organization Right Sector. Other candidates, including Poroshenko, are self-nominees. Poroshenko, however, can count on the support from Vitali Klitschko’s UDAR party, while Mikhail Dobkin is backed by the Party of Regions. Learn more on itar-tass.com