Russia's Refusal To Restrict Ukrainians' Entry Proves Good Intentions - Foreign Ministry

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 03rd December, 2018) Russian President Vladimir Putin's promise that Moscow will not impose any reciprocal restrictions against Ukrainian citizens, but, on the contrary, will facilitate their stay in Russia and obtaining citizenship, testifies to Russia's good intentions toward Ukrainians, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin told Sputnik on Sunday.

On Friday, the Ukrainian authorities barred the entry into Ukraine for Russian male citizens aged 16-60. In response, Putin promised not to retaliate against this move, but even facilitate Ukrainians' stay in Russia and obtaining citizenship.

"This has been repeatedly declared by the [Russian] president. It simply shows the good intentions of Russia toward the citizens of the neighboring, friendly Ukraine, unlike the current Kiev authorities," Karasin said.

According to the deputy minister, it is a question of simplifying the procedure itself, so that people can more easily obtain a temporary residence permit, and later become Russian citizens.

In recent days, Russian citizens have been repeatedly denied entry into Ukraine by the latter's border guards. Those of them, who came from Minsk by Belavia or other airlines were returned to the territory of Belarus. According to Belarus State Customs Committee spokesman Anton Bychkovsky, the number of Russians, who returned to Minsk due to the non-admission at the airports of Ukraine, has increased to 144 since the beginning of the week.