United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said on Tuesday the holding of separatist elections in eastern Ukraine at the weekend was "unfortunate and counterproductive".
A pro-Russian separatist leader was sworn in on Tuesday as the head of a self-proclaimed 'people's republic' in eastern Ukraine in a ceremony that worsened a standoff with Russia. Alexander Zakharchenko, who was elected in a rogue vote on Sunday, took the oath to "honestly serve the interests of the people of the Donetsk People's Republic and conscientiously fulfil my duties."
Before the ceremony, which took place in a drama theatre in Donetsk, a big industrial city and the separatists' stronghold, another separatist figure, Andrei Purgin, said: "We are starting a history with this inauguration and what happens today will be repeated. We are laying down the traditions of the Republic."
The vote was denounced as a "farce" by Kiev and illegitimate by the West, has further deepened thestandoff with Russia over the future of the former Soviet state.
Ban, addressing the Vienna-based Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), said the situation in Ukraine remained a matter of deep concern. The 57-nation OSCE counts Russia, the United States and Ukraine among its members.
"The quote and unquote elections in the eastern part of the country this past Sunday are an unfortunate and counterproductive development," Ban said.
Kiev's pro-Western leaders fear that a new "frozen conflict" could now be created in its eastern regions and further threaten the territorial unity of Ukraine, which lost control of its Crimean peninsula in March when it was annexed by Russia.
More than 4,000 people have been killed in the conflict, which began after the overthrow of Ukraine's Moscow-backed leader, Viktor Yanukovich, in February. Ukraine and the West have accused Russia of sending weapons and soldiers to help the rebels, a charge Moscow denies.
A September 5 ceasefire agreed in the Belarusian capital Minsk brought an end to full-scale clashes, but sporadic shelling continues. Kiev argues the separatists broke the agreement by conducting the elections without the central government's involvement.
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