Elections in Donbas can't take place yet due to security situation

The elections in certain areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions cannot take place in the near future because of the poor security situation in the region, German Chancellor Angela Merkel has said.

"The elections cannot take place for objective reasons: it is simply unsafe in Donbas," she said during a joint briefing with Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman in Berlin on Monday.

Merkel stressed that Germany will continue to support Ukraine in the settlement of the conflict in Donbas and in ensuring the conditions necessary for holding elections there.

In turn, Groysman noted that there cannot be different approaches to standards of the conduct of elections in Ukraine and in other European countries. "Elections should take place when there is absolute openness and the ability to come and make your choice freely. If you look at what is happening in Donbas, you will see that there are 50 shellings daily from Russia and its militants," the head of government said.

Groysman stressed that holding the elections in the region will be possible only after Russia complies with the Minsk agreements and when peace is established.

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