Donetsk People's Republic leaders vow to go ahead with referendum on May 11 pic.twitter.com/k51Qmm8czT
— Simon Denyer (@simondenyer) May 8, 2014
Speaking in Warsaw today after meeting with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Rasmussen said "so far we haven't seen any indications that they are pulling back their troops."
Rasmussen made the statement after the Russian Foreign Ministry suggested he had "a blind eye" for not noticing the withdrawal.
Rasmussen said: "I have very good vision."
Tusk added that "we should approach President Putin's statement with great caution."
Putin said yesterday that some of the estimated 40,000 Russian troops massed on Ukraine's border had returned to their training grounds.
The White House and NATO said afterward they had not noticed any Russian pullback.
Pro-Russian separatist leaders in Donetsk say they will continue with a referendum on self-determination on May 11 despite calls by Russian President Vladimir Putin to postpone it. (Interfax, Reuters, AFP)
Pro Russian separatists say they will not cancel a referendum planned for Sunday despite a call from President Putin for a delay. #Ukraine
— Keir Simmons (@KeirSimmons) May 8, 2014Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council Secretary Andriy Parubiy said the "antiterrorist operation" will proceed even if the leaders of the self-declared "Donetsk People's Republic" decided to postpone plans for a referendum on self-determination due on May 11.
Ukrainian forces have retaken some of the government offices captured by the separatists in about 12 cities in eastern Ukraine.
Russian President Vladimir Pution called yesterday for separatist leaders in Ukraine's Donetsk and Luhansk regions to delay the holding of such referendums.
Separatist officials said they will consider Putin's request.
Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on May 8 that the Kremlin is awaiting the "results of a people's assembly in Donetsk" that he says will decide on whether to hold the referendum.
When you think this conflict can't get more baffling, behold the militant+the pup. What message is he trying to send? pic.twitter.com/4RhskkbMzB
— Clarissa Ward (@clarissaward) May 8, 2014
Amazing! RT @NoahSneider : @clarissaward emulating someone? pic.twitter.com/YJ5TGQVfQT”
— Clarissa Ward (@clarissaward) May 8, 2014
RT @russian_market: Referendum will be held on May 11 and not postponed any hour or any second - Separatists.
— Mark MacKinnon (@markmackinnon) May 8, 2014
I have very good vision but while we've noted #Russia’s statement so far we haven't seen any - any - indication of troops pulling back
— AndersFogh Rasmussen (@AndersFoghR) May 8, 2014
If we saw visible signs of a meaningful pullback by #Russia troops I'd be the first one to welcome it
— AndersFogh Rasmussen (@AndersFoghR) May 8, 2014
Outside Donetsk Republican Headquarters they want the referendum to go ahead: "Putin can say what he likes. We'll decide for ourselves."
— Gabriel Gatehouse (@ggatehouse) May 8, 2014
Ukraine says military ops against rebels to continue despite Putin's comments yesterday. This might not be over yet.
— Richard Carter (@rdcberlinAFP) May 8, 2014