From the German news agency dpa:
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday accused Ukraine of lacking political will to solve the bloody conflict with pro-Russian separatists - just hours after he pleaded for new peace talks.
"We do not see a desire of our partners in Kiev to solve the problem of its relations with the south-east of Ukraine by a peaceful political process," Putin told a conference of international Russia experts in Sochi that was broadcast on television.
The Russian leader warned that any attempt of a forceful solution
will create an impasse. If Ukraine wants to retain its territorial
integrity, it needs to end the war immediately, he said.
Interesting read from Interfax headlined: "Putin Slams Yanukovych's Behavior Before Ouster":
Russian President Vladimir Putin has slammed the conduct of former Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych after the latter signed a landmark European Union-brokered agreement with the then opposition on February 21.
Speaking at a conference of the Valdai international discussion club, Putin said he had a telephone conversation with U.S. President Barack Obama after the signature of the pact, which had guarantees from the foreign ministers of three EU countries behind it.
"We discussed those matters. We mentioned ways in which we would help implement that agreement. Russia made certain commitments, and I heard my American counterpart say he was ready to make certain commitments as well," the Russian president said.
The same day, Putin said, he had a phone call from Yanukovych, who said "he believed the situation had stabilized and he was going to go to a conference in Kharkiv."
"I must admit that I expressed some concern, I asked whether it was a good idea to leave the capital in such a situation. He answered that he believed that it was safe because there was a signed document. I'll tell you more: I answered him, saying that I doubted it would all be so well but that it was his own responsibility -- he was the president, after all," Putin said.
He said he had advised Yanukovych not to withdraw security forces from Kyiv for a while. "He said yes, of course, I realize that. He then went away and ordered all the law enforcement forces to be withdrawn from Kyiv. Great performance!" Putin said.
After that armed men seized the headquarters of the president's office in Kyiv and government and opened fire on a motorcade in which the prosecutor general was traveling, the Russian leader said.
Yanukovych then asked to meet with Putin in Rostov-on-Don in Russia because he claimed he didn't want to be too far from Ukraine. But then it turned out that Yanukovych wouldn't be able to get to Rostov because "they started aiming their rifles at him," Putin said.
As a result, Yanukovych was taken to Crimea and was then helped to flee to Russia, according to Putin.
From "End Of The Orange-Blue Divide: Ukraine Vote May Produce New Political Landscape" by RFE/RL's Robert Coalson:
When Ukrainians go to the polls on October 26, they seem poised to introduce a new political configuration for the country. And, at the same time, to shatter the old paradigm of a country hopelessly divided between a pro-European west and a Russia-leaning east.
The end of the old Orange-Blue divide is largely the result of the violent separatist conflict raging in Ukraine's east.
"These divisions have been diminished by this war and by the perception among many Russian-speaking Ukrainians, who would have had a positive opinion of [Russian] President [Vladimir] Putin a year ago, that this war is actually directed and supported by Russia," says Andreas Umland, a professor at Kyiv's Mohyla Academy. "Even many ethnic Russians who are Ukrainian citizens are now becoming Ukrainian patriots in the full sense of the word."
Read the full article here.
Barring any major developments, that ends the live blogging for today.
Campaigning in Ukraine has ended ahead of Sunday's vote:
Campaigning has ended in Ukraine a day ahead of key parliamentary elections.
Polls show the party of President Petro Poroshenko with the highest support at 30 percent.
The United States has urged all Ukrainians to cast ballots, including those in rebel-controlled areas in Donetsk and Luhansk in the east, where pro-Russian rebels are vowing to hold their own seperate elections in November.
Voting will not take place in 14 districts of eastern Ukraine currently under the control of the separatists.
President Vladimir Putin's chief of staff, Sergei Ivanov, has said Russia will recognize the election results, telling the Interfax news agency that Russia wants normality to return to Ukraine.
But Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk has voiced fears the Kremlin could try to disrupt the vote. (AP, Interfax)
The Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) says it has "destroyed an anti-Ukrainian plan on derailing elections and destabilization of the situation in Ukraine," according to chief Valentyn Nalyvaychenko:
“Today we can state that the anti-Ukrainian plan on derailing elections and destabilization of situation in Ukraine is destroyed”, - stressed the Head of the SSU. According to him, for today “all tools of the backstairs politics, prepared and used by the RF special services and terrorists of LPR’s and DPR’s illegal paramilitary formations are neutralized”. “The debris of the army, who are hiding from us with explosives and weapons, will be detained and neutralized”, - assured the Head of the SSU.
Nalyvaichenko informed that within the frame of the preparation for the elections the Security Service carries out protection of the Central Electoral Commission’ s electronic recourses, Vybory (election) system and its regional divisions: “Functioning of servers and communication equipment for the election are under our protection at the moment – by all available state-of-the-art capabilities.”
The SSU Head mentioned that the SSU, MIA and GPO were entrusted by the President of Ukraine to conduct an important mission related to the protection of the voting premises, district electoral commissions and the Central Electoral Commission. At the same time the best SSU officers ensure transportation of the ballot papers – in Donetskl and Luhansk regions primarily.
The third aspect of the work, according to Nalyvaichenko, - the direct prevention of abuse of power during the elections, bribery of voters and NGOs together with the missions of international observers. “Starting today both the SSU Headquarters and its regional offices will not only work day and night, but also receive citizens jointly with the representatives of the NGOs. We receive statements about any incidents of abuse of power or attempts to interfere into the process of declaration of the will and assure you – none will abandon the investigation of the criminal proceedings,” – said Nalyvaichenko. He has also warned the heads of the electoral commissions that the SSU will overstrictly react to any attempts to tamper with election or gerrymander the election.
Here is today's map of the military situation in the east, courtesy of Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council:
