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Donbass elections possible only after troops pulled out, Zelensky says

The president reiterated that he sees peace in Donbass and return of Crimea as his primary goals as the head of state and is not intending to lift anti-Russian sanctions in light of this

KIEV, September 16. /TASS/. Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has said that he is hoping to resolve the ‘all for all’ prisoner swap issue at the upcoming Normandy Quartet summit, as well as agree a full disengagement from the line of contact. However, Zelensky has also noted that a local election is only possible after troops are withdrawn from the "occupied territories".

"The main goal of the Normandy Four is not to raise, but to finally resolve the ‘all for all’ prisoner swap issue," he said Monday at a press conference following his talks with Slovak President Zuzana Caputova. "The second issue is a final settlement of the disengagement, first in Zolotoye and Petrovskoye, then on the whole territory under a specific schedule. And the third. If we are discussing local elections on the temporarily occupied territories, we should realize that the specific timeline for the elections will be determined after troops are withdrawn from there."

"I do not know whether we could decide all of this in one meeting, but I would like that," he continued. "Out advisors prepared all of this and I expect that this meeting will bear normal results."

Zelensky recalled that the last Normandy Four meeting was held in October 2016.

"I am waiting for a new meeting to finally take place," he underlined. "We cannot expecting it for three-four years because our soldiers are dying every day."

According to the president, such meetings should be held regularly "until territories are liberated and the war [in Donbass] is over."

Zelensky reiterated that he sees peace in Donbass and return of Crimea as his primary goals as the head of state and is not intending to lift anti-Russian sanctions in light of this.

"Termination of war and de-occupation of all Ukrainian territories are my main mission as Ukrainian president," he said addressing President Caputova. "We are hoping for your diplomatic support and sanction pressure of our partners, including Slovakia."

"It is necessary not only for Ukraine, but the broader Europe that will not feel safe while Russia ignores international law," the Ukrainian leader emphasized.