Amended Constitution makes regaining occupied territories possible via politics, diplomacy – Poroshenko

"Amendments to the Constitution don't mean that we lose the territories, but on the contrary, they give us a chance and prospect to settle, ensure and restore Ukraine's sovereignty over the occupied territories through a political and diplomatic way. We will certainly win if combine strengthening the defense capacity of the state with political and diplomatic efforts," Poroshenko said in his television address on Monday. He reiterated that the law on peculiarities of local self-government in certain regions of Donetsk and Luhansk regions "has been adopted by the Verkhovna Rada of previous and present convocation twice." Poroshenko stressed that his term of office is five years, and that one year has already gone. "A bigger part of the articles of this law has been suspended, and they might work only after elections on these territories take place in accordance of the Ukrainian law and OSCE standards, and just after withdrawal of the Russian troops and arms out of Ukrainian territory, after we retake control along the border with Russia," Poroshenko added.