Ukraine’s foreign minister urges EU to sanction Russia for mass issuing of passports in the Donbas
The issuance of Russian passports in the non-government-controlled parts of the Donbas is a strong reason for the European Union to impose sanctions against Russia, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba tweeted on Feb. 9.
He stressed that sanctions for this clear violation of the Minsk agreements, a peace plan intended to end the conflict in the Donbas, are long overdue.
Earlier on Feb. 9, Kuleba commended the Committee of Permanent Representatives in the European Union for deciding to expand the EU sanctions list for the illegal organization and holding of Russian parliamentary elections in Ukraine’s Russian-occupied Crimean Peninsula.
Elections for the Russian parliament, the State Duma, were held on Sept. 17-19 last year.
Many residents of non-government-controlled parts of Ukraine’s Donbas region and Crimea were allowed to take part in elections, due to the Russia’s “passportization” policy of providing Russian passports, and citizenship, to Ukrainian nationals living in these territories.
On Sept. 22, the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine’s parliament, adopted a statement deeming the participation of people in Crimea and the non-government-controlled parts of the Donbas in the State Duma elections to be illegitimate.
The European Union, the United States, the United Kingdom, and many other countries have confirmed that they too do not recognize elections held in occupied Crimea.
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