Ukraine requires passports for Russian citizens

Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk signed a resolution on Feb. 3 requiring Russian citizens to present their foreign passports when traveling to Ukraine starting March 1. Previously, they were allowed to enter Ukraine with only their domestic identification documents. Yatsenyuk stressed the need to strengthen controls on the Ukrainian-Russian border and “introducing European rules to crossing the state border, including citizens of the Russian Federation.” He also stressed that it was Russian President Vladimir Putin who first proposed requiring foreign passports for Ukrainians entering Russia.

Zenon Zawada: This decision is long overdue and will be effective in restricting access to Russian terrorists. We believe the Cabinet timed its decision in response to the Russian government’s recently enacted measures to enhance the ability of Ukrainians to extend their permits for being in Russia, with the goal of helping young men avoid the military draft. Therefore, we don’t expect the Russian government to respond in kind because it would undermine its strategy of depleting Ukrainian forces for the war.