The European Union and Russia clashed over the crisis in Ukraine Thursday as Russian President Vladimir Putin warned the 25-nation bloc not to meddle in Kiev's internal problems. "I do not believe in the right to interfere," Putin told reporters at a joint press conference in The Hague with Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende, European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso and E.U. foreign and security policy chief Javier Solana. The Netherlands is current E.U. president. "I am deeply convinced that we have no moral right to push a major European state into mass mayhem," Putin insisted. But the E.U., which has said Sunday's presidential elections in Ukraine were not up to international standards, insisted the results of the polls were unacceptable. The E.U. was concerned about shortcomings in the election process, Balkenende said, adding: "We need to look at the legal framework so that the shortcomings can be further investigated." "Our approaches differ," the Dutch premier said, referring to the stance taken by Putin. --More 2252 Local Time 1952 GMT
