We'll have to choose

The European Union and the USA are considering the possibility of imposing new sanctions against Russia if the authorities of self -proclaimed DPR and LPR refuse to hold local elections on October 25. This was reported by "Kommersant" with reference to sources in Western diplomatic circles.

"Donetsk and Lugansk did not show the desire for a compromise, announcing the election on dates different from the rest of Ukraine, and without demonstrating the willingness to organize them in accordance with Ukrainian law," one of the diplomats noted.

"If representatives of Donetsk and Lugansk continue to insist on their own and the elections in the Donbass will go separately from the general Ukrainian, will not comply with Ukrainian laws and will not monitor international observers, it will be serious - and at the same time demonstrative - a blow to the Minsk agreements. In fact, this will be the last" nail in the coffin "of peaceful agreements," said another diplomat. And the United States will not believe that Russia cannot influence the separatists so that they turn off this dangerous path. "

“If the Minsk agreements are buried in such a rude way, we will have no choice left,” the third source of the publication noted. He did not clarify what new measures could be taken against Russia. At the same time, he emphasized that the sanctions "are not the E -EU EXTROW" "

The issue of the timing and conditions for holding local elections in Donetsk and Lugansk will be discussed at a meeting of the heads of the Norman Four countries in Minsk this week, the sources of the publication were told this issue should become one of the key and in negotiations between the leaders of the Four, which may take place in the end of September in the New York during the Session of the UN General Assembly.

On July 2, the “head” of the DPR Alexander Zakharchenko announced the holding of local elections on October 18 in the self -proclaimed “reptzbik”. He assured that they will pass "in compliance with the relevant OSCE standards during monitoring by the OSCE OSCE and other international organizations."

Then Zakharchenko introduced a special regime of self -government into the DPR, the individual conditions of which are provided for by the Law of Ukraine on the special status of Donbass, the Minsk agreements, as well as the draft amendments to the Constitution of Ukraine proposed by the militants. The leader of the militants explained such measures by the fact that the legal authorities of Ukraine allegedly left the "Minsk peace process." In these conditions, Zakharchenko concluded, the DPR is forced to independently begin to fulfill the agreements reached in Minsk.

On August 19, it was reported that the DPR leaders are preparing a referendum on the accession of the territory they controlled to Russia as a separate subject of the Federation. The vote "must be approximately 2-4 weeks after local" elections ". It will be carried out by the same election commission. However, later the DPR authorities refuted this message.

In the LPR, local elections are scheduled for November 1.