Russian State Duma member from the Just Russia party, Oleg Pakholkov, speaking on Monday at a news conference in Donetsk where he observed the disputed elections:
"Yesterday I toured ballot stations as an international observer and the things I saw there I haven't seen during any other elections, be it in Russia or other countries I have been to as an international observer -- giant lines of people waiting for hours to cast their votes. With this huge turnout, the people of Donbas have shown they want to live and they want to work, especially given the fact that the people of Donbas are truly hard-working folks."
From AFP:
Russia on Monday called on Ukraine to halt its military offensive against pro-Moscow rebels in the east, saying the insurgent leaders had enough "authority" to hold talks with Kiev.
Deputy foreign minister Grigory Karasin made the appeal after Moscow recognised separatist elections in two eastern Ukraine regions dismissed as illegal by Kiev and the West.
The rebel leaders elected "have enough authority to establish broad sustainable dialogue with Kiev authorities," Karasin told Russian state news agency TASS.
"This work can bring results only on condition of equal dialogue based on mutual respect, with Kiev renouncing military operations and the notorious 'anti-terror operation'," Karasin was quoted as saying.
Russia has endorsed the rebels' Sunday elections held in the Ukrainian regions of Lugansk and Donetsk. But critics say the polls were aimed at legitimising the pro-Russian rebellion.
Russia risks a new round of Western sanctions over the contentious vote, but Karasin appeared to dismiss that threat.
"The language of sanctions is an absolutely counter-productive method of solving conflicts," he was quoted as saying by the Interfax news agency.
"This has been proven by history."
More from Reuters on the strong German reaction to yesterday's vote:
German Chancellor Angela Merkel's spokesman said on Monday Berlin found it incomprehensible that "official Russian voices" should recognise an election held by pro-Russian separatists in east Ukraine.
Sunday's elections have been condemned by Kiev and its Western allies as illegal. Russia's foreign ministry was quoted on Monday as saying Moscow "respects" the outcome of the vote.
"It is all the more incomprehensible that there are official Russian voices that are respecting or even recognising these so-called elections," spokesman Steffen Seibert told a regular government news conference.
The current developments in east Ukraine rule out any premature lifting of EU economic sanctions against Russia, he added. If the situation worsened, further sanctions may be necessary, Seibert said.