Klitschko pulls out of Ukraine presidential race

The election in May follows the ousting of the pro-Russian Viktor Yanukovich and four months of violent political unrest over whether Ukraine should seek closer ties with the European Union.

Klitschko told delegates from his Ukrainian Democratic Alliance for Reform party: “In the interests of Ukraine, to save her unity, I offer to support, as a unity candidate of democratic forces for the presidential election, the candidacy of Petro Poroshenko.

“Our goal is the full membership of Ukraine in the European Union.”

Klitschko, who rated at 8.9 percent in a recent poll compared to Poroshenko’s 25 percent, said he would instead run for Kiev mayor instead.

Russia backs ‘federal Ukraine’

Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov called for “deep constitutional reform” in Ukraine, a country divided between those who want closer ties with Europe and mainly

Russian speakers in the east who look to former Soviet master Russia.

Mr Lavrov said: “Frankly speaking, we don’t see any other way for the steady development of the Ukrainian state apart from as a federation.”

Each region, he said, would have jurisdiction over its economy, finances, culture, language, education and “external economic and cultural connections with neighbouring countries or regions”. He added: “Given the proportion of native Russians (in Ukraine) we propose this and we are sure there is no other way.”

Mr Yanukovich has called for each of the country’s regions to hold a referendum on their status within Ukraine, instead of the presidential election planned for May 25.

Crimea’s Tatar community, who largely boycotted last month’s referendum on joining Russia, want autonomy on the Black Sea peninsula, the minority group’s leader said on Saturday.

Russia said on Saturday it had “no intention” of invading eastern Ukraine in response to Western fears over a military buildup on the border following Moscow’s annexation of the Crimean peninsula. Mr Lavrov said: “We have absolutely no intention of – or interest in – crossing Ukraine’s borders.”

The West imposed sanctions on Russia, including visa bans for some of Putin’s inner circle, after Moscow annexed Crimea this month following a referendum on union of the Russian-majority region with the Russian Federation which the West said was illegal.

‘Concrete threat’

Nato secretary general Anders Fogh Rasmussen, in an interview with Germany’s Focus magazine, said the alliance was “extremely worried”.

He said: “We view it as a concrete threat to Ukraine and see the potential for further interventions.

“I fear that it is not yet enough for him (Putin). I am worried that we are not dealing with rational thinking as much as with emotions, the yearning to rebuild Russia’s old sphere of influence in its immediate neighbourhood.” But Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin, called US President Barack Obama on Friday to discuss a US diplomatic proposal.