Elections in Donbas possible after withdrawal of weapons - U.S. State Department spokesman
Ukrinform
Washington states that elections in Donbas could be held only after the withdrawal of all weapons and troops, and after the OSCE monitoring group is provided with the long-term access to the occupied territories in eastern Ukraine.
U.S. State Department spokesman John Kirby said Thursday at a Foreign Press Center briefing that Washington believes that only after the full implementation of Minsk peace deal, the elections could be held and Ukrainians could decide on their future.
“The international community again has come to an agreement on this, and Russia also pointed to the importance of Minsk agreements,” John Kirby said.
He also noted that U.S. State Secretary John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov at a recent meeting discussed this issue.
“Thus, we want see the full implementation of Minsk,” the U.S. State Department spokesman said.
iy
