MOSCOW, November 3 (RIA Novosti) — The Russian Foreign Ministry on Monday called for "active steps" to establish a dialogue between Kiev and Donbas representatives in the framework of the Minsk agreements.
"In the light of the elections that have taken place it is highly important to take active steps to create steady dialogue between the central Ukrainian authorities and representatives of the Donbas in line with the agreements reached in Minsk," the ministry said in a statement published on its official website.
"[We are] ready to work with our international partners to continue constructively contributing to resolve the crisis in Ukraine," the statement reads.
Following a February coup in Kiev, residents of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions in eastern Ukraine established so-called people's republics that later declared independence. The crisis in Ukraine escalated in mid-April, when Kiev authorities launched a military operation against independence supporters in Donbas. The conflicting sides reached a ceasefire agreement at a September 5 meeting of the trilateral Contact Group on Ukraine in Minsk.
On Sunday, the self-proclaimed republics held elections of the heads of the local governments and representatives of the legislative bodies. The elections were monitored by a total of 100 observers from a number of European countries and the United States.
The European Union, the United States and the United Nations have spoken out against the elections, claiming they undermine the agreements reached in Minsk. Meanwhile, Russia has expressed its intention to recognize the elections and has emphasized that not recognizing them will run counter to the Minsk agreements.
