President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky said that he would like to hold local elections in October throughout Ukraine, including the Crimea. He made such a statement during his speech at the Munich Security Conference.

“Today, our desire is to hold local elections throughout Ukraine, including in certain regions of Donetsk and Lugansk regions in October 2020, and we would like in the territory of Crimea,” Zelensky said.

The Ukrainian leader also added that in the Donbass “we need legitimate elections” that will not be such if they are held “not according to Ukrainian law, to the sound of gunfire and without control of our border.”

A State Duma deputy from Crimea Ruslan Balbek, in a conversation with RT, said that the Russian authorities can allow the opening of polling stations on the peninsula, but only so that Ukrainian citizens registered as voters in various regions of their country can vote without leaving Crimea. However, for this Zelensky must reach an agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“At the same time, Vladimir Zelensky will have to publicly acknowledge that the polling stations of his state are located on Russian territory. There can be no other options, ”the deputy noted.

“So, if President Zelensky really wants to, then I think he has a great chance to spend election day for his citizens in Crimea. But for this, he will have to show his political will, which, most likely, neither his comrades-in-arms, nor his opponents will like - in particular, recognition of the Russian status of Crimea, ”Balbek added.

In turn, a member of the Federation Council Committee on Foreign Affairs, Crimea Senator Sergei Tsekov noted that Zelensky puts forward absurd ideas. The senator recalled that "Crimea was reunited with Russia forever, and there are no options for the return of the peninsula to Ukraine."

“Every time we expect from Vladimir Zelensky that he will really assess the situation in Ukraine and in the Crimea. We are waiting for him to start making real proposals. What the president is saying right now is completely impossible. Vladimir Zelensky should understand the situation and stop deceiving the citizens of Ukraine and the world community, ”he said.

Meanwhile, the head of the working group on international legal issues at the Permanent Mission of Crimea to the President Alexander Molokhov pointed out that Zelensky’s words were like a bad joke.

“Zelensky’s desire to hold elections in the Crimea doesn’t look so comical, but somehow not serious. It seems like a failed joke, ”he said.

Recall that in March 2014, a referendum was held in Crimea, following which the peninsula reunited with Russia.

  • View of the Artek International Children's Center in Crimea
  • RIA News
  • © Konstantin Mikhalchevsky

Earlier, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Vadim Pristayko said that elections in territories not controlled by Kiev "should ideally be held in parallel with local elections in Ukraine in the fall." According to the diplomat, if voting does not take place this year, Kiev will need to seek an alternative to the Minsk agreements.

Later, the head of the office of the President of Ukraine, Andrei Yermak, said that Kiev has an action plan that will allow elections to be held in the Donbass in October 2020 in accordance with Ukrainian laws.

“We have a clear plan for what should happen so that at the end of October, elections can be held throughout Ukraine, according to Ukrainian laws,” Yermak said.

The director of the Kiev Center for Political Studies and Conflictology, Mikhail Pogrebinsky, in a conversation with RT called for not to pay attention to the statements of the Ukrainian leader.

“He understands that this will not happen. But he needs to make such statements. He is a white crow in the political class. He even among the members of his team does not have support in the matter of finding a compromise with the Donbass and Moscow. He knows very well that there will be no elections in Crimea, but he wants to calm passions with such statements. And it will non-publicly be looking for some pragmatic ways, ”the expert explained.

Vladimir Zelensky in December announced his disagreement with the implementation of the Minsk Agreements concluded in 2015.

According to the Ukrainian leader, according to the procedure for resolving the conflict prescribed in the agreements, Kiev is required to hold elections in the Donbass before gaining control of the Russian-Ukrainian border.

As the president of Ukraine specified, the elections in Donbass should be held in accordance with the legislation of the country, which excludes the presence of armed groups in the region, and also requires the presence of Ukrainian parties, observers, journalists, the OSCE and the CEC, and for this, Kiev needs to gain control over the border .

“This will be the most difficult question of all if we ever come to discuss it,” Zelensky emphasized.