Interfax: Russia hopes for “transparent” election in Ukraine – deputy foreign minister

(Interfax, Moscow, March 31, 2014) Moscow hopes that the presidential election in Ukraine will be open and transparent, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Grigoriy Karasin has said.

“Naturally, we have questions. We want the carrying out a constitutional reform that would take into account the opinions of the regions to be a priority after all. The success of any election depends on this to a large extent. We hope that the conditions for holding the election [in Ukraine] will be created. Legitimacy depends mainly on this,” Karasin told journalists in response to an Interfax question.

According to him, these conditions should be transparency, fairness and taking interests of the regions into account.

Karasin also said that talking about whether Moscow recognized the election results or not was getting ahead of oneself. “It is almost like talking about what will happen in the 22nd century,” he said.