Russian President Vladimir Putin said in Lisbon on 23 November that Russia can neither recognize nor protest the the presidential runoff in Kyiv because \"no official results have been announced,\" Russian and Western news agencies reported. He added that \"I can advise others to follow our example,\" in an apparent jab at the U.S. and the EU for condemning the conduct of the election. Putin admitted that he was too quick to congratulate Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych on his victory on 22 November before all the votes were counted. He added that it was an informal gesture. \"I really only privately congratulated one of the presidential candidates on his victory according to the information provided by the exit polls.” That contrasts with the fact that Yanukovych\'s opponent, Viktor Yushchenko, was decidedly ahead in all exit polls. Putin added that only the Ukrainian Central Election Commission can announce the official results, and he called on both sides to follow legal procedures in resolving the conflict. At the same press conference, Putin slammed as \"inadmissible\" doubts expressed by the European Union and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) about the outcome of the disputed presidential elections in Ukraine, RTR and Reuters reported. \"The Ukraine is a large European country with a developed legal system, we don\'t have to give the country lessons, it is the Ukraine that can give lessons to others,\" Putin added. \"I am aware of the statement made by the EU foreign ministers with reference to the OSCE observers, in which the results of the elections were put into question,\" he said. \"If someone continues to use OSCE observers for such purposes this organization will lose its international prestige and the very goal of its existence,\" he added, reported RTR. (RFE/RL)