'Russia's constructive approach' needed to resolve issue of Donbas elections

The Ukrainian side is committed to formulating the modalities of local elections in Donbas in line with Ukrainian legislation and Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) standards, as well as under the monitoring of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), but this will also require Russia's political will and constructive approach, Darka Olifer, spokesperson for former Ukrainian president and Kyiv's envoy to the Trilateral Contact Group Leonid Kuchma, has said.

"Ukraine remains committed to its obligations and is ready to move toward securing the implementation of the Minsk agreements in full. The Ukrainian side wants to formulate the modalities of local elections in Donbas in compliance with Ukrainian legislation and OSCE standards and under OSCE ODIHR monitoring. The elections are a fundamentally important issue," Olifer wrote on her Facebook account after a meeting of the Trilateral Contact Group in Minsk on Wednesday.

At the same time, "Ukraine cannot ensure that they [the elections] are held exclusively by its own efforts," she said, adding that "Russia's political will and constructive approach are needed for this to happen."