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Moscow vows no tit-for-tat response after Ukraine introduced visas for Russians — MFA

"It is not in our plans to create additional difficulties for ordinary Ukrainians, including refugees who are looking for protection in Russia from persecution by Ukrainian nationalists," Maria Zakharova stressed

MOSCOW, September 9. /TASS/. Moscow won’t furnish a tit-for-tat response after Ukraine introduced visas for Russians as it doesn’t plan to create problems for ordinary Ukrainians, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a statement on Friday.

"The Russian side’s specific response is currently being hammered out. However, when making a decision, we don’t intend to act in a tit-for-tat manner. We will be based primarily on Russia's interests and humanitarian considerations. It is not in our plans to create additional difficulties for ordinary Ukrainians, including refugees who are looking for protection in Russia from persecution by Ukrainian nationalists. We also have not forgotten about family and other ties that unite the peoples of the two countries," the diplomat said.

Zakharova denied media reports that said on Friday that Russia was allegedly planning to introduce visas for Ukrainian citizens.

"Earlier, we repeatedly commented on the situation regarding visas in relations with Ukraine. In this regard, we took note of the reports that appeared in some news agencies and cited the Russian Foreign Ministry as saying that the Russian side is allegedly preparing to introduce visas for Ukrainian citizens. This is fundamentally wrong and misleading about the real intentions of the Russian side," she stressed.

Ukraine introduced visas for Russians effective from July 1. The decision was made by the Ukrainian government and proposed by President Vladimir Zelensky. The Kiev regime asserted that visas are required to counter threats to national security. Moscow said that the move demonstrated the Ukrainian officials as unreasonable.