REUTERS

The European Union is drafting recommendations on the "identification and possible non-recognition" of Russian passports issued to residents of Russia-occupied districts in Ukraine's Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

Read alsoRussia issues almost 45,000 passports to Ukrainians in H1 2019

In particular, these recommendations for the EU member states and their consulates are being drafted by the European Commission together with the European External Action Service and in coordination with the EU delegations in Kyiv and Moscow, according to a statement by an EU spokesperson handed over to Deutsche Welle's Ukrainian service on Thursday, August 8.

Видео дня

The recommendations will also concern the issue of EU visas when residents of Donbas with Russian passports apply for them while residing in Russia or Ukraine.

According to the statement, the non-recognition of such passports is within the competence of each EU member state.

As UNIAN reported earlier, European Union leaders agreed on June 20 to prolong until the end of January 2020 economic sanctions against Russia over the turmoil in Ukraine. The bloc also expressed "its utmost concern" about President Vladimir Putin's decree allowing Ukrainians in the troubled east to get Russian passports under simplified procedures. The leaders said the bloc "stands ready to consider further options, including non-recognition of Russian passports" issued in east Ukraine which undermine the peace process.