On 6 November 2020, the Russian Federation promulgated the Presidential Decree, which once again attempts to legitimize the unlawful issuance of documents and vehicle registration marks to Donetsk and Luhansk regions residents, as well as granting them Russian citizenship in a simplified manner.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine considers these steps to be yet another element of aggression against Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, with clear evidence of the Kremlin's intention to continue the war against Ukraine not only by military but also by legal means.

The Kremlin's unlawful decision openly contradicts with Russia's obligations under the Minsk Agreements, ignores efforts made by the Normandy Format and the Trilateral Contact Group to maintain a ceasefire and to achieve a peaceful settlement of the conflict in certain areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine.

We have to emphasize once again that Ukraine will not recognize the Kremlin decrees on the so-called "Recognition of Documents and Registration Marks" and "Simplified Procedure" for granting Russian citizenship to residents of certain areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine.

We are convinced that our international partners will also not recognize these Russian documents and any actions based on them.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine demands from the Russian side to immediately cancel all aggressive decisions regarding Ukraine and eliminate their negative consequences.

The Foreign Ministry sends a note verbale to the Russian Federation, expressing its strong protest against the decree, and urges our international partners, primarily through the Normandy Format, to condemn the Russia’s unlawful actions and apply the necessary means of pressure, including sanctions. Ukraine will urgently raise this issue on international platforms, in particular within the UN, OSCE and CoE.