US Condemns 'Sham' Elections In Donbas, Vows To Continue Imposing Sanctions - State Dept.

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 13th November, 2018) The United States on Tuesday slammed the elections of leaders and members of parliaments in the self-proclaimed people's republics of Donetsk and Luhansk (DPR and LPR respectively), calling them a"farce," US Department of State spokeswoman Heather Nauert said.

On Sunday, the DPR and LPR held leaders' and parliamentary elections. The turnout in the DPR amounts to 80.1 percent of voters while the turnout in the LPR to 77 percent, according to the republics' central election commissions. DPR acting head Denis Pushilin won the election with 60.85 percent of the vote.� LPR acting leader Leonid Pasechnik won the election by gaining 68.3 percent.

"The U.S. joins our European Allies and partners in condemning the November 11 sham 'elections' in Russia-controlled eastern Ukraine.

We have spoken with one voice against yesterday's violation of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity," Nauert said in a statement.

Washington will continue to impose sanctions on Moscow until the latter fully implements the Minsk accords, the spokeswoman noted.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron denounced the Donbas elections for undermining the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine. The Ukrainian authorities said that they would not recognize the results of the elections.

Kremlin said it was treating the elections in self-proclaimed republics with understanding, as these regions have been torn away and abandoned by Ukraine.