Donetsk appeal to Russia

The pro-Russian leader in Donetsk, Denis Pushilin, on Monday called for the self-proclaimed "People's Republic of Donetsk" to become a part of Russia.

"Proceeding from the expression of the will of the people of the Donetsk People's Republic and in order to restore historical justice, we ask the Russian Federation to consider the absorption of the Donetsk People's Republic into of the Russian Federation," Pushilin told reporters in the province's capital, Donetsk.

The regional authorities claimed almost 90 percent support at the polls in Sunday's contentious referendum, which is not recognized by the interim government in Kyiv, the EU or the US. Authorities in neighboring Luhansk offered similar figures for their simultaneous vote, but did not immediately call for Russian accession on Monday. A spokesman in Luhansk, Vasily Nikitin, did say the region would not vote in Ukraine's planned presidential election, currently scheduled for May 25.

In Kyiv, acting President Oleksandr Turchynov reiterated his rejection of Sunday's votes.

"The farce, which terrorists call the referendum, will have no legal consequences except the criminal responsibility for its organizers," Turchynov said in a statement released on Monday.

Regional authorities put turnout in both provinces at around 70 percent, but the hastily-arranged votes lacked international monitors and standardized voter-registration processes.

Russia calls for talks within Ukraine

The question put to participants in the vote asked whether they "support the act of state self-rule" in the eastern regions - with Moscow's first official response speaking only to this issue of seizing greater autonomy from the central government in Kyiv.

"The practical implementation of the referendum results should proceed in a civilized way without any throwbacks to violence through a dialogue between representatives of Kyiv, Donetsk and Luhansk," the president's office said in a statement. President Vladimir Putin, currently in the Black Sea resort of Sochi, did not comment personally.

Sunday's votes prompted EU foreign ministers to expand their sanctions related to the unrest - adding 13 individuals and two Crimean companies in addition to those already targeted. German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier is set to travel to Ukraine on Tuesday, seeking to aid negotiatons between the interim government and the breakaway leaders.

Currently, the authorities in Kyiv and in the east refuse to acknowledge each other's legitimacy.

msh/jr (AFP, AP, Reuters)