Ukraine should not make laws on elections in Donbas and amend Constitution before Russia withdraws its troops, - Kuchma
Second President of Ukraine Leonid Kuchma representing Ukraine in the Tripartite Contact Group stressed unacceptability of holding local elections in the territory of Donbas uncontrolled by Kyiv authorities without fulfillment of all conditions of the Minsk accords.
Censor.NET reports citing Interfax-Ukraine.
He stressed that Russia does "whatever it wants" in the territory with over 400 km of border uncontrolled by Ukraine.
"Minsk protocol decisions must be fulfilled including cease-fire and withdrawal of heavy weapons. It is imperative that the OSCE special mission has carried out verification and said: "Yes, the weapons have indeed been withdrawn." This has not been done as well. Only then we can talk about some successes," the second president said.
Kuchma stressed that it was impossible to hold elections on the uncontrolled territory of Ukraine.
"Those people incumbent there today will be certainly voted for at a gunpoint. They won't certainly reckon with Kyiv. They will keep looking to the same direction (reckon with Russia - Ed.). Therefore, it is useless talking about some shifts in the Minsk process without appropriate conditions, without Ukrainian government present there," Kuchma said.
