Democratic elections in ORDLO are impossible yet – German Foreign Minister
Democratic elections on the certain districts of Donetsk and Luhansk regions (ORDLO) are so far impossible, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine.
"The conditions for holding democratic elections in the areas not under government control, as provided for in the Minsk Agreements, have not been met as things currently stand," Maas said.
"There have been some encouraging developments of late. The ceasefire is holding for the first time in a long while, which is giving the people of eastern Ukraine much-needed breathing space. Ukraine has demonstrated flexibility and goodwill in this regard," he said.
Germany "continues to rely on constructive cooperation from Russia in the Normandy Format," he said.
"Russia must bring its influence to bear in order to ensure that words are followed by deeds," Maas said.
He also hailed Kyiv's plans to hold regional elections in October, saying that this is "a positive sign of the Ukrainians' democratic participation."