Despite reports that Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko was going to abolish the Minsk agreement and/or the “special status” for the Donbas, the full official English statement is now available, and as the excerpt below shows, Poroshenko has only said that such a move will be discussed at tomorrow’s meeting with the NSDC (National Security and Defense Council):

Yesterday’s pseudo-elections in part of the Donbas are completely opposite to the voting of October 26. Unfortunately, it is a part still controlled by militants. This farce at a gunpoint has nothing in common with the expression of will. It cannot be called elections by its definition.

Bandits, terrorists and interventionists can coronate themselves deputies, prime-ministers and ministers. They may even call themselves kings or emperors. Still, no matter what they put on their heads, they will remain occupants, criminals and militants. Ukraine will never recognize the so-called elections of November 2. We cannot respect the choice that exists neither actually nor legally. No country in the world that respects itself and the international law will recognize the so-called elections. This farce has already been condemned by the EU, the United States, dozens of our countries-partners. Spokesman of German Government stated today that abolition of sanctions against Russia was out of discussion.

Pseudo-elections are a brutal violation of Minsk protocol of September 5. Minsk protocol provides for the holding of early local elections in the part of the Donbas solely under the laws of Ukraine. We provided them with the given opportunity. Farce of November 2 jeopardizes the entire peace process the beginning of which has been achieved at the cost of outstanding efforts. It substantially worsens the situation in the Donbas. Performers, organizers and sponsors of pseudo-elections are fully responsible for that.

Ukraine strictly adheres to the letter and spirit of Minsk protocol. Against the backdrop of its brutal violation by the other parties, we have to adjust our plan of actions. I have already discussed the new situation with the Defense Minister. Tomorrow, I will have the NSDC meeting at which we will comprehensively analyze the situation and make necessary amendments to the scenarios of our actions taking into account both optimistic and pessimistic forecasts.

One of the issues to be submitted for consideration by the NSDC is the abolishment of the law on peculiarities of the local government in certain districts of Donetsk and Luhansk regions. In due time, this law performed an extremely important role in stemming foreign invasion, mobilizing world’s support of Minsk peace agreements, sincerity of Ukraine’s intentions on de-escalation of the situation in the Donbas. We demonstrated residents of Donetsk and Luhansk regions as well as the whole world that we are sincere in our desire for the political settlement. Militants refused this opportunity. Holding of pseudo-elections undermined the law and aggravated the situation in the Donbas. We are ready to provide broad powers laid down in the law only to the legally elected local government, not to the bandits who coronate themselves.

However, decentralization remains in our arsenal as the key element of political settlement in the Donbas. We will be willing to approve the new law if all the parties return to the fulfillment of Minsk protocol. In case of the ceasefire, establishment of buffer area and control over the border. And in case of clear actions of militants to signalize the reverse in the issue of the so-called elections of November 2.

The new law will provide for clear boundaries of districts with special order of local government in clear conformity with Minsk agreements. It will also provide for budgetary decentralization that will eliminate the irritating question “who feeds whom”. It will let these districts be responsible for their self-funding on the basis of their own resources. Everyone will get what he deserves with his work.