You're reading: Peskov: Putin to formulate his attitude to southeast Ukraine ‘referenda’ when their outcomes are posted

Moscow - Russian President Vladimir Putin will formulate his attitude to the "referenda" on the status of Ukraine's Donetsk and Luhansk regions after their outcomes are posted, presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov said.

“It is difficult to forecast [what decision the Russian president may make],” Peskov said in an interview published by the newspaper Kommersant on Monday, May 12.

Asked whether Putin’s position might be influenced by the fact that he had asked federalization supporters to postpone the referenda, the presidential press secretary stressed: “He did not ask, he gave that recommendation.”

“However, it was hard to follow the recommendation even considering the authority of the Russian president. People [in Donbas] had to act according to their plan and the real situation against the backdrop of actual hostilities,” the presidential press secretary continued.

In addition, Peskov described the U.S. and EU reproof of Russia as “absolute stupidity”.

“Why did the West fail to prevent the use of armored personnel carriers in Sloviansk and Kramatorsk and the fire on civilians? They did not use their influence and that was all right, but Russia was blamed for everything,” he said.

By threatening Moscow with new sanctions, the United States and the European Union are holding “a Jesuitical policy,” he said.

“They do not care how the agreements are being fulfilled and whether there is a dialogue or whether the fire is ceased. Their primary objective is to hold the election and to close the juridical question about the legality of the coup they have organized,” the Russian presidential press secretary added.