U.S. condemns issuance of Russian passports in occupied Donbas

The United States condemns President Putin's decree to issue Russian passports to residents of the occupied areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions, the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine reports.

"During a breakfast with Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin, U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary George Kent reiterated strong U.S. support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and emphasized U.S. condemnation of Russia’s destabilizing move to provide passports to Ukrainian citizens," the embassy wrote on Facebook.

As Ukrinform reported, on April 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree that allows residents of the occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions in eastern Ukraine to obtain Russian passports under a simplified procedure.

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry condemned the Kremlin's decision, noting that this is another fact of the flagrant violation by Russia of the norms of international law and state sovereignty of Ukraine.

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