MOSCOW, April 7. /TASS/. Kiev's decision to deny entry to TASS deputy director general Alexander Kopnov is disrespectful for Russia's leading news agency, presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday.
"We regret that Ukraine can make such decisions and think that it contradicts common sense," Peskov said.
He said it "underlines Ukraine's absolutely uncivilized approach to everything related to media."
Kopnov was denied permission on Monday to cross Ukraine's border after spending hours at Kiev's Borispol airport. He is not the first TASS employee to be denied entry to Ukraine.
Peskov said the entry denial for the deputy head of "Russia's leading news agency was a display of absolute disrespect" and "another attempt to prevent Ukrainians from getting truthful information."
The Kremlin does not rule out that some Ukrainian functionaries may be prohibited from entering Russia, Peskov added.
"Making an uncivilized response to uncivilized behavior is not exactly Moscow’s habit," Peskov said. "As for some sort of functionaries and so on are concerned, one should never rule out some sort of proportionate action, of course."
He added that foreign media work in Russia with no restrictions.
"You know that Ukrainian media representatives also work here freely and I hope, will continue working until they are interested in developments in this country," Peskov said.
The Russian Foreign Ministry said on Monday that the incident once again demonstrated Kiev’s disregard of international norms and mass media principles.
"Kiev’s attempts to limit alternative information through banning Russian mass media and their representatives to enter Ukraine only demonstrate that the current Kiev authorities are afraid to let their own citizens and the international community receive unbiased information," the ministry said.