Russians in Trilateral Contact Group demand that Kyiv cancels resolution adopted by Rada on local elections, Ukrainian side refuses

Within the political group of Trilateral Contact Group (Ukraine, Russia, OSCE), it was noted that a complete and comprehensive ceasefire is a basic precondition for a political settlement.

"After all, elections in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine are possible only under the following conditions: after a comprehensive de-escalation; after withdrawal of foreign military units and equipment, disarmament of illegal armed formations; restoration of control by Ukrainian government over Ukrainian-Russian border; elections must be held exclusively in accordance with Ukrainian legislation; elections must be held in compliance with OSCE Copenhagen standards", says the message of the President's Office of Ukraine following the meeting of the Trilateral Contact Group in format of videoconference on Wednesday, July 22.

The lack of progress in work of the political group was also reported by the journalist Denys Kazansky, who was involved into work of the TCG by the Ukrainian side as a representative of ORDO.

"As for the political subgroup in which I am, there is a habitual dead end, no change. Russian representatives from ORDLO broke down again - this time because of the resolution of the Verkhovna Rada №3809 'On appointment of the next local elections in 2020,'" he wrote on his Facebook page on Thursday morning.

He said that in this resolution Russian representatives were outraged by the phrase that elections in the occupied territories can be held only after "the withdrawal of all illegal armed formations led, controlled and financed by the Russian Federation, the Russian occupation forces and their military equipment from the territory of Ukraine."

"The Russians demanded that the Ukrainian side cancels this resolution, but they were politely sent to a well-known address, of course," Kazansky summed up.