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EU countries to discuss elections in east Ukraine this week

EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini earlier called the vote illegal and illegitimate

BRUSSELS, November 3. /TASS/. The EU countries will discuss the elections of heads and parliamentarians in the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics this week, the EU foreign policy chief’s spokesperson, Maja Kocijancic, said on Monday.

The EU’s new foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, earlier called these elections illegitimate and said the EU will not recognize their results.

Prime Minister Alexander Zakharchenko and his movement, “Donetsk Republic”, won the elections in the Donetsk People’s Republic. Incumbent leader of the Luhansk People’s Republic Igor Plotnitsky and his movement, “Peace to Luhansk Region”, won the polls.

Kiev says the elections in the Donetsk and Luhansk republics are illegitimate. The West supports its position. Upon completion of the voting, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini said the EU considered the elections in the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics illegitimate and did not intend to recognize their results. The USA shares the EU view. The United States said the elections run counter to the Ukrainian Constitution and the Minsk agreements.

Russia considers the voting in the self-proclaimed republics a positive step towards the settlement of the situation in Ukraine.

Ahead of the elections the Russian Foreign Ministry said the elections in the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics would comply with the Minsk agreements and gave a chance to switch over the situation in the embattled regions to constructive dialogue.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Russia was prepared to recognize the outcome of the Ukrainian parliamentary elections.