US cautious but encouraged by developments in Ukraine

WASHINGTON (AFP) — The United States reacted cautiously but was clearly encouraged by an agreement by all parties to Ukraine's electoral crisis to put their dispute on hold until the country's Supreme Court rules on the legitimacy of bitterly contested poll results.

The State Department said Washington was pleased that outgoing President Leonid Kuchma and the two rival presidential candidates had agreed with the help of European mediators to let the court rule on the November 21 vote and then jointly figure out how to resolve the crisis.

"This is a sign that the parties are engaged in coming to a peaceful, political, legal solution to the crisis that has been caused by the elections," deputy spokesman Adam Ereli told reporters.

"We think an important point is to quickly get past this turmoil and our hope and what we're encouraging is a prompt solution to the crisis," he ...