View of the high-rise building of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia. Archival photoMOSCOW, June 29Moscow has received a Ukrainian note on the introduction of a visa regime and will respond to this measure taking into account the humanitarian aspect, Director of the Second Department of the CIS countries of the Foreign Ministry Alexei Polishchuk told RIA Novosti. «We really recently received an electronic copy of the Ukrainian note with the relevant notification, which refers to the actual termination of two agreements from July 1: the 1997 agreement on visa-free travel of citizens and the 2011 agreement on cross-border movement of residents of border regions,» he said. The diplomat recalled that Ukraine for eight years tightened the conditions for the entry of Russians. So, in 2014, restrictions affected men with a Crimean residence permit. In 2015, Russians began to be allowed only with a passport. Since 2018, they began to require fingerprints, a tourist voucher, an invitation, a return ticket, proof of sufficient funds. «Despite these actions, Russia has always complied with agreements on visa-free and cross-border travel and continues to do so. <…> We will to study the situation associated with the new step of Kyiv, and the consequences that may arise for our citizens. The decision on possible response measures will be made based on Russian national interests and taking into account the humanitarian component. For us, Ukrainian citizens are not strangers, «concluded the interlocutor of the agency. The visa regime for Russians begins to operate in Ukraine from July 1.
The visa regime with Russia will harm ordinary Ukrainians, Azarov said
