Elections can be held in parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions that are currently not controlled by the Ukrainian government only in accordance with Ukraine's Constitution and legislation and only after Kyiv restores full control of the border with Russia, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said at an online briefing on Thursday.

"Of course, if we seek a settlement, and we do seek it, we should hold elections. But elections in the occupied territories can take place only after Ukraine regains full control over the section of the Ukrainian-Russian border that it does not control today. Second, these elections must abide by the Constitution of Ukraine and the legislation of Ukraine. Third, these elections must be held in line with OSCE standards, and, fourth, these elections must be co-observed by the OSCE ODIHR mission," Kuleba said.

Ukraine's stance on this issue remains absolutely clear and unchanged, the minister said.

"This is the position that we pursue in our talks with the Russian Federation within the Trilateral Contact Group [TCG]," Kuleba said.