MOSCOW, April 17 (RIA Novosti) - Solving the crisis in Ukraine depends on guarantees given to the residents of the southeastern regions of the country and not the order of when presidential elections and a referendum are to be held, Russian President Vladimir Putin said during a live Q&A session with the public on Thursday.
“This is not a question of what should happen first, a referendum on decentralization and a referendum, and then elections, or elections and then a change in the government structure. The question is in the guarantees for the people. We need to motivate them so that a solution to the issue is found: Where’s the guarantee?” Putin said.
“The issue is on providing legal rights and interests of the Russians and Russian-speaking citizens of southeastern Ukraine,” he said.
In February the coup-appointed authorities in Kiev moved to repeal a law granting regional rights to minority languages.
Eastern Ukraine, which has a large proportion of Russian speakers, has been swept by pro-federalization rallies since last month. Federalization supporters in Kharkiv, Donetsk, Gorlovka, Slaviansk and Kramatorsk have been refusing to recognize the legitimacy of the current Ukrainian government.
The protestors have have urging interim authorities in Kiev to hold referendums similar to the one held in Crimea last month, which led to the republic's reunification with Russia.
