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Developments in eastern Ukraine

Poroshenko’s words about elections in Donbass in 2015 produce bewilderment - DPR envoy

Kiev has failed to agree the relevant law with the self-proclaimed People’s Republics of Donetsk and Lugansk, Pushilin said

© Ramil Nasibulin/BELTA/TASS

MOSCOW, March 22. /TASS/. Ukraine’s President Petro Poroshenko’s statement on a possibility to hold elections in Donbass in 2015 produces bewilderment as Kiev has failed to agree the relevant law with the self-proclaimed People’s Republics of Donetsk and Lugansk /DPR and LPR respectively/, the DPR official representative at the Minsk talks, Denis Pushilin, told the Donetsk news agency on Saturday.

"These words produce bewilderment," Pushilin said. "We all for implementation of this part of the agreements but until now no-one has negotiated the law [on a special self-rule in Donbass] with us although the Ukrainian side must have done it."

Earlier on Saturday, Poroshenko said in an interview with the Inter television that elections in Donbass might take place till the yearend.

"They [the elections] will be held only after all foreign troops are withdrawn and Ukraine will regain control over the border. Not earlier," Poroshenko said adding that "it will be possible even before the yearend."

On March 17, Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada /parliament/ endorsed a list of Donbas districts subject to be granted a special procedure of local self-government but postponed its enactment till new elections in those districts under Ukrainian laws. The Verkhovna Rada also passed a resolution recognizing the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics /DPR and LPR/ as "temporarily occupied territories." This status, according to the document, will be in force until "all illegal armed groups and weapons, as well as militants and mercenaries are withdrawn from Ukraine and Ukraine regains complete control over the state border.".

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Eastern Ukraine

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