Ukrainian Authorities Mentioned Conditions for Elections in Donbass

The Ukrainian authorities believe that elections in Donbass should be held after the return of all refugees to the region. “Elections can only be held when the state’s borders are under its full control or the control of international observers, otherwise there are no guarantees of security on the election day,” the spokeswoman for Kiev’s official representative in the Contact Group for resolving the situation in the region Daria Olifer wrote on her Facebook page.

Kiev believes that “premature elections or improper preparation” can provoke the resumption of hostilities.

Last week, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko said that elections in territories not controlled by Kiev “should ideally be held in parallel with local elections in Ukraine in the fall”. According to the diplomat, if voting does not take place this year, Kiev will need to seek an alternative to the Minsk agreements. At the same time, Luhansk People’s Republic (LNR) later noted that Prystaiko’s position is completely contrary to Ukraine’s commitments under the “Steinmeier formula”. For example, before the elections, Kiev must primarily coordinate with Donbass all legal aspects of introducing a special status to ensure its functioning on an ongoing basis.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has also repeatedly emphasized there is no alternative to these agreements.

Last December, the leaders of the Normandy Four countries at a meeting in Paris agreed that the Minsk Agreements remain the basis for work in the Normandy format. According to the communiqué they signed, by the end of March 2020 the disengagement of forces is planned in Donbass at three new points.