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Eurocrats extended their long and less than distinguished record of totally ignoring free and fair democratic votes to plough ahead with the plan despite fierce public opposition. In April the Dutch people voted to reject a deal between Brussels and Kiev which will allow all Ukrainians to visit the Schengen zone without applying for a visa. But senior EU officials immediately stated that they would simply ignore the referendum result and force through what they wanted anyway.

GETTY The EU has betrayed Dutch voters who opposed the Ukraine deal

And today they did precisely that as EU states agreed to waive visas for Ukrainians in a move bound to infuriate Dutch voters and boost support for eurosceptic parties. In a display of stunning arrogance, they did not even mention the Dutch vote as they crowed about the completion of the deal. Under the agreed scheme Europe will be opened up to 40 million Ukrainians who will be able to make "short visits" to the bloc.

The only caveat added to the plan was that it could only come into force once Brussels has beefed up its mechanism for suspending visa-free agreements if they provoke security issues. The decision is a massive slap in the face to the Netherlands, which saw more than 60 per cent of voters reject a deal for closer ties between the EU and Ukraine in a referendum in April. The referendum was hailed as a devastating blow to Brussels with just 38.1 per cent of voters wanting the plot, which would see a major shift in political, trade and defence co-operation, go ahead. The agreement, which aims to gradually free up trade between Ukraine and the bloc, is now being provisionally implemented after EU members ratified it.

TWITTER EU ambassador Peter Javorcik welcomed the deal

TWITTER EU officials did not even mention the Dutch vote as they celebrated the deal

I am delighted that our decision is able to send a positive message in the run up to the EU-Ukraine Summit on 24 November EU ambassador Peter Javorcik

Peter Javorcik, the EU ambassador for Slovakia, which now holds the EU's rotating presidency, said: "I am delighted that our decision is able to send a positive message in the run up to the EU-Ukraine Summit on 24 November.” The decision from Brussels comes just one day after the Ukrainian parliament pushed the EU to grant the visa-free travel. Germany and France reportedly led the drive to hold off any new visa waivers to the former Soviet republic before the EU beefs up an emergency mechanism to suspend free-travel agreements if needed.

REUTERS President Petro Poroshenko's government pushed the EU to make a decision on Wednesday

Ukraine has been the heart of a dispute between the West and Russia since Moscow annexed the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea in the spring of 2014 and went on to back rebels in a war against government troops in the east of the country. The EU and US have since imposed sanctions on Moscow and sought to build closer ties with Kiev, though they have also grown annoyed with Ukraine's slow progress on reforms and fighting corruption. Torn by growing eurosceptic and anti-migrant sentiment, the bloc had gone cool on delivering a key reward to Kiev - dropping visa requirements for visiting Ukrainian citizens.

AFP Referendum supporter and GeenPeil frontman Jan Roos celebrated the result in April

AFP Dutch right-wing politician Geert Wilders hands out flyers during the referendum campaign

Leonid Yemets, a Ukrainian lawmaker with the People's Front group, said: "They have invited us to the large European building but tell us to wipe our feet. "We wiped them once, we wiped them the second time, changed the shoes, put on slippers but are still standing in front of a closed door. "Now it's up to you dear EU staff and bureaucrats. If you are not able to deliver on your commitments then, excuse me, but neither you nor we... need such a Europe."

Ukraine in Pictures Thu, August 14, 2014 A Ukrainian warplane was blown out of the sky over rebel-held territory as fierce clashes between government troops and pro-Russian insurgents left dozens of civilians dead. At least 415,800 people have fled their homes due to fighting between government forces and pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine, the UN refugee agency said on August 20. These powerful images show how local residents lives have been affected Play slideshow AFP/Getty 1 of 47 Armed Ukrainian forces detain a pro-Russian militant in the village of Chornukhine in the Lugansk region on August 18, 2014