Ukraine bans Russian citizens from entering country over warship seizure
The decision was made amid continued tensions between Kiev and Moscow following Russia's seizure of Ukrainian warships in the Black Sea.
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Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko. Photo:Reuters. |
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko announced today that the country has banned Russian citizens aged 16 to 60 from entering the country.APIn a post on Twitter, Mr. Poroshenko said the ban was implemented to prevent Russia from secretly sending "private armies" to fight on Ukrainian soil.
The move appears to be Ukraine's response to the incident on November 25 when Russia opened fire and captured three Ukrainian warships and 24 sailors near the Kerch Strait, accusing them of violating territorial waters and acting dangerously, which Ukraine denied.
The incident in the Kerch Strait has worsened relations between Russia and Ukraine, which were already poor following Russia's annexation of Crimea. European and US leaders have voiced support for Ukraine and criticized Russia's actions, but have yet to take military action. US President Donald Trump has canceled a meeting with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin at the G20 summit in Argentina due to tensions over the seizure of the warships.
Ukraine has imposed martial law for 30 days in areas bordering Russia and near where Russian troops are stationed since November 28. Kiev also announced the dispatch of three warships to the Kerch Strait to assert its presence in the area.
