President: Elections in occupied areas of Donbas must be held in accordance with Ukrainian laws

The local elections in the occupied areas of Donbas must be held in accordance with Ukrainian laws. 

 “I will comment on the possibility of holding elections in the occupied territories only after we agree in the Normandy format... All the conditions are stipulated in the Minsk agreements. We are preparing a plan for our conversation [in the Normandy format meeting], we are now negotiating a date, and then our society will find out all the details," President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky said at a joint briefing with President of Estonia Kersti Kaljulaid in Kyiv on Friday, an Ukrinform correspondent reported.

He noted that it was necessary to solve a number of difficult issues before holding the elections, namely the release of hostages, the withdrawal of troops in Zolote and Petrivske, and then along the entire 400-kilometer contact line.

 “And only after [these issues are solved], we will be able to talk about the format of elections in the occupied territories. If we want to think – and I believe that every Ukrainian thinks that Donbas is Ukraine – then local elections must be held there. However, they must be held in accordance with Ukrainian laws. I cannot discuss all other details and conditions now," the Head of State summed up.

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