The U.S. Department of the State urged the Kremlin to abstain from preparations to the 'local election' in Donbas slated for November 11. In its statement, as VOA quoted it, the U.S. authority offers Russia to join Ukraine in its efforts to regulate the ongoing armed conflict.
'We call on Russia to join Ukraine in pursuing peace. Russia and the forces it arms, trains, leads, and fights alongside have yet to follow through on repeated commitments to cease hostilities, withdraw foreign fighters, exchange detainees, or disband the illegal armed formations. Moscow should institute a full and comprehensive ceasefire and cancel the illegal sham elections it is organizing in the Russia-controlled parts of eastern Ukraine', the statement reads on the authority's website.
The U.S. government congratulated the Ukrainian Parliament and leaders of the state on extending the law on special status of the Russian-occupied areas of Donbas. 'Extending this law, which would have expired yesterday, demonstrates Ukraine’s continued commitment to a peaceful resolution of the conflict and implementation of the Minsk agreements. Ukraine’s brave step towards peace stands in sharp comparison to Russia’s continued failure to fulfill its Minsk commitments'.
