British Foreign Office welcomes steps towards peace in eastern Ukraine

"The “Steinmeier Formula” sets out a process for granting special self-governing status to eastern Ukraine, following local elections, which must be held in accordance with Ukrainian electoral law and be deemed to be free and fair by the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe," reads a statement on the website of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO).

FCO Minister of State for Europe and the Americas Christopher Pincher welcomed this encouraging step forwards in bringing peace to eastern Ukraine and commended President Zelensky’s clear commitment to finding a diplomatic solution.

The United Kingdom shares the view of the Ukrainian Government that local elections in eastern Ukraine can only take place under proper conditions. These include a comprehensive ceasefire, withdrawal of foreign troops and unhindered access for international election observers and media.

"Russia must now play its part to end the conflict by immediately ending its support for the separatists and upholding the commitments it signed up to in the Minsk Agreements," the minister noted.

As Ukrinform reported, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky said on October 1 that Ukraine had approved the text of the so-called "Steinmeier formula." According to him, it provides for the adoption in Ukraine of a temporary law on a special status for Donbas, which will be permanent if the OSCE recognizes local elections in these territories as democratic.

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