Ukraine’s parliament has voted to offer limited self-rule to pro-Russian rebels in the East.

It is a sign to the West that they are willing to stick to the terms of the Minsk truce, but not all MPs were happy to allow the separatists to tighten their grip on the region.

“They will elect those people whose hands are covered with Ukrainian blood,” said Yulia Timoshenko, MP, “Batkivshchyna” party. “So does anybody have doubts that these elections will be fraudulent, and those who killed the Ukrainians, who mutilated our state will be elected?”

Kyiv is insisting that the laws only come into effect once local elections are held in the eastern region, a move which has angered Russia. Moscow says that this is in breach of the Minsk deal, a claim which is countered by Serhiy Pashinsky, a Ukrainian MP (Narodniy front).

“The state of Ukraine, and the President himself have signed Minsk agreements that covered some clauses, and we’re following these clauses,” said Pashinsky. “We demonstra