MINSK. April 10 (Interfax) - The results of the first round of the Ukrainian presidential election reflect the Ukrainian society's desire to maintain the direct dialogue with Donbas, Russian Permanent Envoy to the Trilateral Contact Group Boris Gryzlov said.
"The returns of the first round graphically reveal that the better people know and understand the real situation in Donbas, the more actively they are supporting the demands for the dialogue with Donetsk and Luhansk. The stance, which the Kyiv delegation to the Contact Group has pursued for several years, does not reflect Ukrainian citizens' opinions and contravenes their interests," he said.
Gryzlov said he hopes that Kyiv will end its policy for Donbas' violent suppression following the presidential election.
"Today, the most important thing is not who will come to power in Kyiv after the runoff. The most important thing is that how the Kyiv authorities' policy will change. This is more important than replacing the office nameplates. If the Kyiv authorities continue their policy for Donbas' violent suppression after the election, if the Kyiv authorities still sabotage the dialogue with Donbas, this will be another deceit of Ukrainian citizens," he said.