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Russia says cannot ban entry for Ukrainians for ‘humanitarian’ reasons

The Ukrainian government on Tuesday announced that starting from March 1, Russian citizens will be required to carry foreign passports to cross into Ukraine rather than their national passports

© TASS/Valeriy Matytsin

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Ukraine bans entry for Russian citizens on internal documents from March 1

MOSCOW, February 4. /TASS/. Russia’s parliamentary upper house speaker Valentina Matviyenko said on Wednesday Russia cannot ban Ukrainian citizens from entering the country on national passports from March 1 out of "humanitarian considerations."

The Ukrainian government on Tuesday announced that starting from March 1, Russian citizens will be required to carry foreign passports to cross into Ukraine rather than their national passports. Holders of diplomatic and service passports, as well as seaman's identity cards and flight certificates, will be allowed into the country. Kiev also bans Russian citizens under 14 from travelling to the country on birth certificates, which was earlier allowed under a 1997 bilateral agreement on visa-free trips. A relevant decree was signed by Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk the same day.

Asked about possible response steps, Matviyenko told TASS: "Russia should not take adequate measures in this regard out of humanitarian considerations."

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Ukraine Valentina Matviyenko

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