It is impossible to conduct elections in Donbas due to aggressive militants - PACE rapporteurs

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe note the deterioration of the security situation in Donbass and impossibility to hold elections there. It is stated in the statement of the PACE rapporteurs Marieluise Beck and Christine Zelenkova after their 4-day visit to Ukraine, - reports Yevropeyska Pravda.

Both speakers were not able to visit districts of Donbass which are not under the control of the Ukrainian authorities for safety reasons. They visited Kiev, Dnepropetrovsk and Mariupol.

"They drew conclusion that if two of us could not safely travel on the occupied territories for a day or two, how can free and fair elections be held in these areas in the near future?" - said the statement.

At the same time, the speakers said that they were happy to meet representatives of active civil society in different cities of Ukraine.

"The people of Ukraine deserve further support in Europe. To abandon them in this situation would be evidence of the moral decay. Persistence, determination and energy of the locals convinced us that such support would not be in vain," - said the statement.

"There is an urgent need for the government to implement legal expectations of the Ukrainian people, carry out urgent reforms and tackle corruption", - added the speakers.