Canada and United States urge Russia to abandon plans for ‘elections’ in occupied Donbas

 “We condemn the statement on the so-called ‘elections’, which are planned to be held in the militant-controlled areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions on November 11. Such ‘elections’ will be held in violation of the Minsk agreements, since they must be conducted in accordance with the laws of Ukraine, OSCE standards, and monitored by the ODIHR. They would have no greater legal force than the so-called ‘referendum’ held at the gunpoint of Russian servicemen in Crimea in 2014," Natasha Cayer, Canada’s Ambassador to OSCE, said at the OSCE Permanent Council meeting in Vienna, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

The Canadian diplomat called on Russia to exert influence on the militants it backs to stop preparations for the illegitimate elections.

United States Chargé d’Affaires to the OSCE Greg Macris also called on Russia to abandon its plans for holding "elections" in the occupied areas of Donbas. “Minsk agreements remain the best path to peace in the conflict, yet Russia and its proxies seek to undo progress with the announced November 11 elections in the pseudo-statelets Russia created. Along with the broader international community, the United States repeats its calls on Russia to abandon its plans for these sham ‘elections’,” the American diplomat said.

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