Bulgaria Does Not Recognize East Ukraine Poll - Foreign Ministry

Bulgaria does not accept presidential and parliamentary elections held on Sunday in Ukraine's Donbass as legitimate, Foreign Ministry officials say.

Genoveva Chervenakova, who heads the institution's press service, told the Bulgarian National Radio the vote was not in line with international law.

"These so-called "elections" contravene the current Ukrainian legislation and the Minsk protocol and do not contribute to finding a permanent solution to the crisis in Ukraine. We are calling on countries [which] signed the Minsk arrangements for strict adherence to them and [their] application along with respect for the territorial integrity, sovereignty, independence and unity of Ukraine," Chervenakova said.

Ukrainian rebels controlling regions in the country's east held the polls on Sunday, with current leaders of "Donetsk People's Republic" and "Luhansk People's Republic" set to keep their positions after authorities confirmed they had won by a landslide.