Putin Urges Delaying Vote to Split Off E. Ukraine

Russia's President Vladimir Putin wants a delay of a pro-Russian referendum vote on secession scheduled for this weekend in eastern Ukraine.

Putin spoke after meeting in Moscow with the chairman of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe. He said the requested delay is to "create the proper conditions for this dialogue."

Pro-Russia separatists are pushing the referendum on autonomy in two eastern provinces in Ukraine, Donetsk and Luhansk.

Analysts believe rebels will honor Putin's request to delay the vote. Earlier, the White House denounced the plan.

The situation is much like what happened in March, when Moscow supported an independence referendum in the Crimean Peninsula. That vote led to Russia's annexation of the region.

"We flatly reject this illegal effort to further divide Ukraine," Secretary of State John Kerry told reporters Tuesday, following a meeting at the State Department.

"Its pursuit will create even more problems in the effort to try to de-escalate the situation," he warned.

The Obama administration called the latest referendum illegal and is urging all Ukrainians to vote on their future in nationwide elections set for May 25.

President Barack Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel have both said they'd move to impose harsher sanctions against Russia if it seeks to disrupt the national elections.

Meanwhile, Putin has said Russia has pulled back its troops from the Ukrainian border but Washington said it sees no evidence of a pullback