Ukraine will choose a country that will represent its interests in Russia

Ukraine will choose a country that will represent its interests in Russia to provide citizens of the aggressor country with visas to enter Ukraine. Minister of the Cabinet of Ministers Oleg Nemchinov said this on the air of the telethon.

He recalled that on June 17, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine canceled the visa-free regime for citizens of the Russian Federation, and from July 1, Russians who do not have a residence permit in Ukraine or a visa opened in advance will not be able to enter Ukraine.

Nemchinov said that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is now choosing an intermediary country that will deal with visa issues for Russians. He also stressed that Ukraine has valid agreements with visa centers on the territory of the Russian Federation, which Deputy Foreign Minister Mykola Tochitsky informed about at a government meeting.

According to Nemchinov, after the relevant decision is made, the Foreign Ministry will inform the citizens of Ukraine and the Russian Federation about the method of obtaining a visa, its cost and other features of the procedure.

The State Border Service reported that in 2021, half a million Russian citizens crossed the border with Ukraine. At the same time, the border service did not provide data for 2022, however, according to the spokesman of the department, the border crossing by Russians has decreased significantly, especially after February 24.

Crossing the border by citizens of the Russian Federation to enter Ukraine:

2013 - 10.8 million,

2014 - 2.5 million,

2015-2019 - indicators fluctuated at the level of 1.5 million per year,

2020 - 400 thousand,

2021 - 500 thousand

Denials of entry to citizens of the Russian Federation in Ukraine:

2013 - 900 thousand,

2014 - 15.5 thousand,

2015 - 11 thousand,

2016-2019 - indicators fluctuated at the level of 6-7 thousand per year,

2020 - 3 thousand,

2021 - 7 thousand