British Foreign Secretary William Hague is suggesting that unrest in eastern Ukraine is being fomented by Russia to disrupt the May 25 presidential elections and is urging a gathering of European foreign ministers to rally in support of the vote.
Hague spoke at a foreign ministers' meeting of the 47-nation Council of Europe in Vienna on Tuesday. He told reporters: "Russia is clearly intent on preventing or disrupting those elections," while asserting that foreign ministers at the meeting will express "strong support" for holding the vote without outside interference.
He also said nations supporting Ukraine remain ready to find a diplomatic solution to reduce tensions generated by the pro-Russian insurgency in eastern Ukraine but "that would require stronger Russian commitment."
The Ukrainian and Russian foreign ministers are also at the meeting.
