Russia's President Putin has said he will respect the outcome of Ukraine's presidential election on Sunday.
Speaking at an economic conference in St Petersburg on Friday, Vladimir Putin also said he believed Ukraine had descended into "full-scale civil war".
Meanwhile, pro-Russia separatists have clashed with self-defence fighters in the eastern city of Donetsk.
Violence in the east, particularly Donetsk and Luhansk, has seriously disrupted preparations for the polls.
Separatist insurgents in the two regions declared independence after disputed referendums earlier this month and have pledged to derail the vote.
They oppose the presidential elections, which were called after the last elected president, Viktor Yanukovych, was deposed in February amid mass protests against his pro-Russian policies.
"We understand that the people of Ukraine want their country to emerge from this crisis. We will treat their choice with respect," President Putin said.
"It would have been better to hold a referendum and adopt a new constitution. Under the current constitution (Viktor) Yanukovych is still in power," he added.
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