Ukraine’s border policy towards Russian citizens remains unchanged

"My policy towards Russian citizens is unchanged. Russia is the aggressor state. However, I want to be clear: it has become the aggressor state thanks to its leader Vladimir Putin and the ruling elite. There are people in Russia who are dead set against Ukraine. However, many Russian citizens are native of Ukraine. They have been living in Russia for 20-30 years, have acquired Russian citizenship. I believe that the border guards, especially those serving on the border with Russia, should pay attention to these moments,” Chief of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine Serhiy Deyneko said in an interview with BBC News Ukraine.

He added that the state border should be an impregnable wall for the enemies of Ukraine and undesirable persons who visited Crimea and publicly called for annexation.

“On the other hand, the border should be transparent and comfortable for our friends. If people go to our country with clear and friendly intentions, there should be no discomfort for them," Deyneko added.

According to the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine, almost 5,000 Russian citizens have been denied entry to Ukraine over the past seven months of this year. Almost 6,000 Russians were denied entry in 2018; 5,311 – in 2017; almost 6,000 – in 2016; nearly 11,000 – in 2015 and 16,500 – in 2014. The main reasons for entry denials were the inability to confirm the purpose of the trip, exceeding the length of stay, restrictions on entry or invalid documents.

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