Ukraine is on the eve of a crucial presidential vote that Russian President Vladimir Putin has pledged to respect.
Putin has in the past given only grudging backing to the election but on Friday said he was prepared to work with whoever was elected Ukraine´s president in Sunday´s vote.
“We understand that the people of Ukraine want their country to emerge from this crisis,” he said at an economic forum in his home town of Saint Petersburg.
“We will treat their choice with respect.”
“We are today working with those people who control the government and after the election we will of course work with the newly elected authorities.”
The Russian leader warned that Ukraine had descended into all-out civil war after a bloody upsurge in separatist violence.
Seven people were killed in fighting between rebels and defence forces outside the eastern industrial hub of Donetsk on Friday, a day after the deaths of 18 soldiers in the heaviest loss for the Ukraine military since the conflict began.
