A leader of Russian-backed separatists in east Ukraine signed a decree on Wednesday to hold local elections, a move President Petro Poroshenko condemned as a risky and irresponsible decision that threatened a cease-fire
deal.
Under the terms of the much-violated Minsk peace agreement, reached in February, local elections were meant to be held in the separatist regions in tandem with the rest of the country, but Kyiv has said they cannot take place due to security and monitoring concerns.
The separatists, who have unilaterally set up their own mini-republics, have instead scheduled their own ballot – the results of which Kyiv is unlikely …read more
Source: Voice of America
