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Russia not to change entry procedure for Ukrainian nationals

“Ukrainian nationals keep entering Russia as earlier,” Russian Foreign Ministry says

MOSCOW, April 08. /ITAR-TASS/. Russia refrains from a tit-for-tat response to Ukraine’s move to make Russian nationals provide financial guarantees when entering Ukraine, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Tuesday.

“Due to the decision by the Ukrainian authorities to impose restrictions on the period of stay of Russian nationals on Ukrainian territory - 90 days within 180 days from the day of the first entry - we state the following,” the ministry said.

“The Russian side considers the decision as a certain tit-for-tat measure in response to introduction (by Moscow) from January 1, 2014 of regulations stipulating the stay of foreigners on the territory of the Russian Federation,” it said in a statement. “We have taken notice of the Ukrainian side’s innovation.”

“At the same time, we would like to recall that the Russian side refrains from measures to respond to the Ukrainian cabinet’s Resolution 884 of December 4, 2013, in line with which Russian citizens are required to confirm, when entering Ukraine, their sufficient financial provision (about $600 + $100 per person daily),” the statement said.

“Ukrainian nationals keep entering Russia as earlier,” it said.

Russia-Ukraine relations soured following a coup in Ukraine in February after months of anti-government protests, often violent. The protests, dubbed “Euromaidan”, began when President Viktor Yanukovych decided in November 2013 to suspend the signing of an association agreement with the European Union in favor of closer ties with Russia.

New people were brought to power in Kiev amid deadly riots after Yanukovych had to leave Ukraine citing security concerns in February. Moscow does not recognize the new self-proclaimed Ukrainian authorities.

Ukraine’s political crisis and Kiev’s ties with Moscow deteriorated further when the Republic of Crimea, where most residents are Russians, held a referendum March 16 in which an overwhelming majority of Crimeans voted to secede from Ukraine and join the Russian Federation. The reunification deal with Moscow was signed March 18.

The new Ukrainian leadership and the West do not recognize Crimea part of Russia despite repeated statements by Russian President Vladimir Putin and other officials that the Crimean referendum complied with the international law and the UN Charter, and was also in line with the precedent set by Kosovo’s secession from Serbia in 2008.