The United States has denounced moves by pro-Russian separatist groups in eastern Ukraine to organise what it called a "bogus" referendum.
US Secretary of State John Kerry slammed the efforts to organise a referendum on May 11 in the eastern cities of Donetsk and Luhansk as "contrived."
"We flatly reject this illegal effort to further divide Ukraine. And its pursuit will create even more problems in the effort to try to de-escalate the situation," he told reporters on Tuesday, after meeting EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton.
"We are not going to sit idly by while Russian elements fan the flames of instability instead of fulfilling the commitments that we made."
Kiev and its Western backers believe Moscow is trying to ensure the planned "referendum" goes ahead in a bid to sow chaos ahead of nationwide presidential election due to be held two weeks later.
The West considers the May 25 presidential elections crucial to restoring legitimacy to the country's government, after interim leaders were installed by the parliament when pro-Moscow president Viktor Yanukovych fled in the face of widespread pro-democracy protest.
Assistant Secretary for Europe Victoria Nuland said the elections will be "the most pluralistic election that there has ever been in Ukraine".
But she voiced concerns about whether the people in eastern Ukraine would "have the chance to vote for their candidate" given the tensions on the ground with pro-Russia militias controlling several towns.
The OSCE is expected to send in 1000 observers and the US is supporting a further 3000 observers.
State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki also warned that "if Russia takes the next step" to move into eastern Ukraine and annex it as it did in March with Crimea, "harsh EU and US sanctions will follow".
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