Russian party’s representative in ORDLO is proof of escalation – Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine

The Ukrainian ministry believes that Russia's intention to open a representative office of the "Fair Russia–For the Truth" party in ORDLO is another proof of the escalation in Donbas.

The Foreign Ministry announced this, Ukrainian Pravda reports.

"We consider the intention to open a representative office of the "Fair Russia–For Truth" party in Donetsk and Luhansk as another proof of Russia's escalation of the situation in ORDLO. The Russian authorities continue to openly disregard the Minsk agreements and take steps to drag the currently uncontrolled areas of Donbas into their political, economic, and electoral field," the Foreign Ministry said.

The Foreign Ministry noted that after the illegal distribution of Russian passports in Donbas, the occupying parties considered receiving political dividends.

It's noted that on March 22, there was a message on the website of the Russian party about the intention to open an office in occupied Donetsk and Luhansk. The "Fair Russia" party plans to represent and defend "the voting rights of 'Russian citizens,' residents of the temporarily occupied territories" in Donbas.

The Ukrainian Ministry emphasizes that this grossly violates the legislation and sovereignty of Ukraine, opens the field for fraud in the Russian elections.

Also, Russia has recently been actively discussing the organization of elections to the State Duma in ORDLO.

Ukraine has already stated that it will not recognize the legitimacy of such elections.

To recap, the Ukrainian delegation to the Trilateral Contact Group withdrew from the negotiating table because, despite a warning, Russia brought in Maia Pirohova, an "expert" convicted of terrorism, to the TCG meeting. In Ukraine, she was sentenced to 10 years in prison.