BRUSSELS, May 12 -- The European Union said the local referenda in eastern Ukraine last weekend was "illegitimate" following the Foreign Affairs Council meeting Monday.

"The EU will not recognise yesterday's nor any future illegitimate and illegal referenda," the statement said.

The EU strongly supports the holding of free and fair Ukrainian Presidential elections on 25 May, and calls on all parties to do so, according to the statement.

Meanwhile, the Council takes note of the recent declarations from the President of the Russian Federation regarding the Presidential elections in Ukraine and expects support for the holding of these elections on 25 May 2014.

Russian President Vladimir Putin described the Ukrainian presidential elections as "a step in the right direction," but warned they alone will not solve the problems unless all citizens of that country feel their rights secured last Wednesday, during a meeting with President of the Swiss Confederation Didier Burkhalter in Moscow.

The polls showed that, in Sunday's referendum in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk and Lugansk regions, around 90 percent of people voted in favor of independence from central government in Kiev.