New clashes erupted in eastern Ukraine as the divided country prepared for presidential elections this weekend, raising the question of whether pro-Russian forces sought to disrupt the vote in a move that the United States and its European allies say would trigger tougher sanctions on Moscow.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday that his government would respect the will of the Ukrainian people in Sunday's vote, but added Russia would closely monitor events SIA reports quoting the CNN.
In a speech to an international economic forum in Saint Petersburg, Putin also warned of a "dangerous civil war" underway in Ukraine following what he called a "state coup" carried out "with support of the West, the United States" that ousted the country's pro-Russian leader earlier this year.
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