MOSCOW, December 26. /TASS/. Ukraine must hold elections if it wishes to have a legitimate president, and as of now, the country’s parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, is the only legitimate authority in the country, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated on Thursday.
"Regarding the legitimacy of the so-called current Ukrainian government, President [of Russia Vladimir Putin] clearly stated during his recent year-end press conference that Ukrainians should deal with this issue on their own to bring the situation in Kiev in line with the Ukrainian Constitution," Lavrov said in an interview with Russian and international media.
"In order to achieve this goal, if they genuinely want a legitimate president, they must hold elections. As of now, and according to the [Ukrainian] Constitution as [Russian President] Putin previously explained, only the Verkhovna Rada and its chairman are legitimate," Lavrov added.
However, the Russian minister continued, the most crucial thing at the moment is to address the root cause of this crisis instead of forming a so-called negotiating team on behalf of the Kiev regime, because it would be impossible to reach any agreement without resolving the initial issue.
"I have already outlined these root causes in detail, and I truly hope that all those who are interested in advancing the negotiations understand what is at stake," Lavrov stated.
"I would like to emphasize that these are not prerequisites, but rather something that all participants involved in this process, this conflict, should have addressed long ago in accordance with the obligations they have already undertaken, including in line with the UN Charter, the principles of which should be rigorously followed," he stressed.
Russia’s top diplomat pointed out that a temporary ceasefire on the frontline, to be resumed later, is unacceptable.
"We need final, legally binding agreements that will set out conditions for ensuring Russia’s security and, of course, the legitimate interests of our neighbors, but in a manner based on international law, which will make it impossible to violate those agreements," he concluded.