Speaker Parubiy offers MPs to introduce visa-regime with Russia in response to Sushchenko arrest

Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada Chairman Andriy Parubiy at a meeting of the Agenda-Setting Council today has offered MPs to consider the issue on abolishing a bilateral agreement on a visa-free travel between Ukraine and Russia.

“On Friday, Ukrainian journalist Roman Sushchenko was arrested in Russia. Russian imperialists are trying to accuse him of espionage. If Putin’s regime previously destroyed only [Russian] freedom of speech and only prosecuted own journalists, then now it’s a dangerous place for foreign reporters to work too. I urge all states of the free world, all international organizations to give their own harsh evaluation of the ongoing prosecution over the journalist, the Ukrainian citizen,” Parubiy said.

Due to the incident with the detained Ukrainian journalist Roman Sushchenko, the speaker offered MPs to consider the issue on canceling the Ukraine-Russia agreement on a free-visa regime and extending sanctions against Russia.

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