Democratic elections in certain areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk oblast are so far impossible. This was stated by German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas in an interview with Interfax.
"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. Here Moscow is also required to use its influence", - 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", - Maas stated on the eve of his visit to Russia.
According to him, Germany continues to rely on "constructive cooperation from Russia in the Normandy Format".
"Russia must bring its influence to bear in order to ensure that words are followed by deeds. We, of course, together with France, are ready to continue shaping this process in the Normandy Format", - he noted.
The minister hailed Kyiv's plans to hold regional elections in October, saying that this is "a positive sign of the Ukrainians' democratic participation".