Canada strengthens its commitment to Ukraine and says it will ban entry to Ukrainians with Russian passports issued in occupied Donbas.
"Canada is also taking concrete action against continued Russian aggression in Ukraine and condemns Russia's decision to issue Russian passports to Ukrainian citizens in Donbas region. As of today, Canada will take action to ensure these passports cannot be used to travel to Canada," according to a news release posted on the website of the Government of Canada.
It is reported Canada and the international community stand with the people of Ukraine on their journey toward a secure, sovereign and prosperous future.
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As UNIAN reported earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin on April 24 signed a decree on the expedited procedure for the issue of Russian passports to residents of temporarily occupied Donbas. On April 27, Putin said Russia could simplify the procedure for granting Russian citizenship to all Ukrainians – not only to those who reside in Russia-occupied districts in the east of Ukraine.
On April 29, a center opened in the town of Novoshakhtinsk in Rostov oblast offering services for issuing Russian passports to residents of Russia-occupied districts in Ukraine's Luhansk region. On April 30, a similar center opened in Rostov oblast's village of Pokrovskoye to service residents of the occupied Donetsk region.
On May 8, Ukraine's Cabinet of Ministers outlawed Russian passports issued to Ukrainian citizens residing in Russia-occupied areas in Ukraine, namely Luhansk and Donetsk regions.
