ST. PETERSBURG, May 23. /ITAR-TASS/. Russia will take into account all factors in developing its position on the legitimacy of Ukrainian presidential elections, Deputy Foreign Minister Alexei Meshkov said on Friday.

“Let’s wait for the elections first. Naturally, when Russia considers this issue [on legitimacy] we will take into account all factors,” he said.

According to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Ukrainian presidential elections will help stabilize the situation in that country and achieve a nationwide participation in the political process.

The presidential polls in Ukraine will take place May 25 and, according to the country’s Central Election Committee, will be deemed valid “regardless of the number of voting stations and electoral wards, on which the voting results will be impossible to count”.

On Thursday, presidential nominee Vasyl Tsushko stated about his withdrawal from the upcoming presidential election. Earlier, Oleh Tsariov, Natalia Korolevska and Zoran Shkiriak also withdrew their candidacies.

On the Russia-NATO Council meeting

Moscow is prepared for a Russia-NATO Council meeting, but a concrete date is not set yet, Deputy Foreign Minister Alexei Meshkov said on Friday.

“For the last three weeks we have been seeking to hold this meeting as quickly as possible, we were prepared to hold it even yesterday or today. Certainly, we do not refuse to hold it at a later date, but it is need to find a mutually acceptable date now,” the high-ranking diplomat noted, adding: “I am not prepared to say whether it will be held next week, May 27 [the date NATO proposes] does not suit us.”

May 19, Russia has initiated an emergency session of the Russia-NATO Council amid the deterioration of the situation in south-eastern Ukraine. The Alliance agreed with the initiative of the Russian side, proposing to hold the session at the level of ambassadors May 27.