UNITED NATIONS, November 13 (RIA Novosti) – Russia is concerned about Kiev reneging on the special status granted to the Donetsk and Luhansk people's republics, First Deputy Permanent Representative of Russia in UN Alexander Pankin said at the Security Council meeting.
"We are also concerned about… [Ukrainian President Petro] Poroshenko's decision to annul the law on the special status for certain regions of Luhansk and Donetsk. This was the linchpin of the Minsk agreements," Pankin said.
He noted that the law was not ideal but it could have become the basis for further talks between Kiev and eastern Ukraine's independence supporters.
The law on self-administration in parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions was passed by the Ukrainian parliament on September 16, following the September 5 ceasefire agreement between Kiev and the independence supporters. According to the deal, Kiev was obliged to ensure early local elections in the two breakaway regions.
On November 9, the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk people's republics held elections for the heads of local governments and representatives of legislative bodies.
Following the vote, the Ukrainian president said that Ukraine would not recognize the results of the elections and announced his plans to submit the abolition of the law granting special status to the regions to Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council.
