Ukraine appealed to the international organizations, the U.S., and EU asking to sanction Russia

Federica Mogherini, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, at Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels EU External Action

Following the Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels, Federica Mogherini, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, stated that EU would continue observing possibilities to sanction Russia for issuance of Russian passports to the residents of occupied Donbas, as Radio Liberty reported.

“I am convinced that the further steps in this regard will be made within next weeks,” she noted.

According to her, this question was discussed not only with the representatives of the Eastern Partnership but also at the beginning of the Foreign Affairs Council.

Earlier, it was reported that the EU did not intend to impose new sanctions against Russia for its decision to issue Russian passports to Donbas residents.

In particular, Czech Foreign Minister Tomáš Petříček stated that. According to his, the EU is aware of Russia’s decision, but it does not want to pressure Moscow for it.

Romanian Minister Teodor Meleșcanu confirmed the position of the Europeans. He assured the journalists that Ukrainians do not need the new anti-Russian sanctions.

On April 24, Putin signed a decree according to which the procedure for obtaining Russian citizenship for residents of Donetsk and Luhansk regions is simplified. Applications for entry into the citizenship of the Russian Federation, received from residents of occupied Donbas territories, should be considered no more than three months from the date of submission.

President-elect Volodymyr Zelensky stated that Ukraine will grant citizenship to representatives of all peoples suffering from authoritarian and corrupt regimes, and first of all to Russians.

Besides, he said that Russia should not spend their time in vain with their attempts to lure the citizens of Ukraine into getting Russian passports.

Current President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko stated that the order on the issuance of the Russian passports to the Ukrainian citizens on the temporarily occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk is the attempt to justify and legitimize the military presence of Russia in Donbas.

Ukraine appealed to the UN Security Council after this decision and Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the UN Volodymyr Yelchenko called it to be the daring step, which contradicts the Minsk Agreements.

Ukraine’s Ministry of Temporarily Occupied Territories and IDPs reported that people who get Russian passports will lose their Ukrainian citizenship.