Russia does not need Ukraine to recognize passports issued to Donbass

"The Kremlin will continue to issue Russian passports to those who wish and this is protected by the President's decree," Mr. Peskov emphasized.

Earlier in the day, Ukrainian Prime Minister Vladimir Groisman announced at a cabinet meeting that the government would decide not to recognize Russian passports issued to Ukrainians living in Donbass as valid. Prime Minister Groisman added that these passports may not be accepted in the country as well as for international activities such as tourism.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavel Klimkin said that the decision to "issue passports in the occupied Ukrainian territories is a continuation of aggression and interference in our internal affairs." Mr. Klimkin affirmed that Kiev would be ready to discuss dual citizenship with Russia only after it regained control of Donbass and Crimea.

Meanwhile, Ukraine's Minister for the Temporarily Occupied Territories, Vadym Chernysh, made it clear that the passport documents provided by Russia would not be recognized. "Documents issued by some Russian authorities will not be recognized," Chernysh said.

Kiev believes that the move to grant Russian citizenship to Ukrainians further shows Moscow's attempt to interfere in Donbass. Ukrainian President-elect Volodymyr Zelenskiy has called for more international sanctions against Russia over its decision to grant citizenship.

However, in a decree signed on April 24 by Russian President Vladimir Putin, the procedures for granting Russian citizenship were accelerated for residents of certain areas of the Luhansk and Donetsk People's Republics in eastern Ukraine. Mr. Putin explained the move as a way to help citizens in Donbass, where citizenship rights in the region are considered a disaster, and affirmed that Moscow has no intention of causing trouble for Kiev.