The issue of
passports for the people of Donbass is "purely humanitarian", Putin
stressed.
VLADIVOSTOK, April
25. /TASS/.Russian President Vladimir Putin has said he had no intention to
provoke the authorities in Kiev by signing a decree on simpler rules of
granting Russian citizenship to the residents of some areas of the Lugansk and
Donetsk regions of Ukraine.
"We, including
myself, are very far from provoking anybody," he said. "The
passports-related issue is purely humanitarian."
Putin voiced surprise
why his decision to ease citizenship granting procedures had drawn such a
negative reaction.
"For instance,
Poland has been issuing the Pole’s Card for many years, ten or so, since 2009,
if I’m not wrong," he said. "Very same Poland issues passports, and
so does Romania. The latter grants passports to Hungarians, Romanians and
Poles. In that connection I have this question: in what way are the Russians
resident in Ukraine inferior to Romanians, Poles or Hungarians? The same is
true of the Ukrainians who feel inseparable links with Russia by virtue of
different reasons - kinship, mixed marriages or other considerations.
Putin said he saw
nothing out of the ordinary about that.
"Moreover, other
countries neighboring on Ukraine have been doing this for many years. Why
cannot Russia do the same?" Putin said, adding that the people in the
Donetsk and Lugansk republics were in a far worse position that Poles,
Romanians or Hungarians in Ukraine.
Putin stressed the fact
that people in eastern Ukraine were often denied basic human rights.
"They have
problems with moving about Ukraine or third countries. In Russia, they have
problems, too. Quite often they are unable to buy air or train tickets. It’s
beyond the limits," Putin said.
Kiev defaults on key
provisions of Minsk Accords
Putin said that the
previous, outgoing and future Ukrainian authorities showed no intention to sign
the corresponding regulatory acts on amnesty.
"They are not
going to recognize the special status of the Lugansk and Donetsk republics. In
the meantime, this is the key issue of the Minsk Accords. This means that they
are not going to implement the Minsk Accords at all," he said, adding the
future of the people resident in these territories, should they remain
abandoned and isolated, remained anyone’s guess. Putin stressed the idea that
the blockade had been introduced by Ukraine, not Russia.
"This is direct
contradiction to the Minsk Accords. Nothing has been restored: no economic
ties, no financial relations, nothing. Moreover, humanitarian problems are
being created for the people," Putin said adding that Russia could not
afford to stay an idle onlooker.
"If the people
who are about to take power in Kiev find the strength to implement the Minsk
Accords, we will promote this process in every possible way to return the
situation to these basic principles to the maximum extent," Putin said.
Source: ITAR-TASS
25-04-2019
