A key point in resolving the crisis in Donbas is the holding of early local elections so as to elect people who will really represent the region, reports GHN based on Ukrinform.
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said this at the 11th Annual Meeting of the Yalta European Strategy (YES).
"A very important issue is the holding of early local elections: only in this way we will be able to resolve the crisis. We need people with whom we can talk. And these people should represent residents of Donetsk and Luhansk regions ... And we are ready to talk, and this is the only way to solve the crisis," he said.
Poroshenko expressed hope that the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine would support his bill on the temporary order of local government in certain areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
He said that this bill foresees no threat to the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine. According to the document, people in local councils will be able to influence the situation, decide what language to speak, what cultural events to mark, how to spend money from the local budget, but "the main questions of the state - foreign policy, security and strategic directions of development - will be in the hands of the central authorities."
"There can be no compromise on the territorial integrity and independence of the country," Poroshenko said.
He also said he was confident that a very important peace process, which began a week ago, would have a significant impact on the restoration of peace and stability in Ukraine.