Introduction of visas with Russia to bring Ukraine more problems than benefits - Poroshenko Bloc
KYIV. June 9 (Interfax) - The introduction of visas with the Russian Federation will cost Ukraine around 1.5-2 billion hryvni, this measure is currently unreasonable, Iryna Lutsenko, deputy head of the Petro Poroshenko Bloc faction and representative of the Ukrainian president in the Verkhovna Rada, said.
"More problems than benefits [...] I don't understand why it needs to be done now. Ukraine has a lot of challenges and needs on which this money can be spent," Lutsenko said on 112.Ukraine television on Thursday.
"If we are saying that we are introducing a visa regime, we need at least 1.5-2 billion - these are tentative calculations - for the creation of various consular establishments. Create a new border control in the 'gray area' [in Donbas]. That means that we are pulling the border inside Ukraine," she said.
The parliamentarian said such a measure "will not make Russia stop aggression against Ukraine, and the 400 km-long uncontrolled border with Russia will not allow the introduction of visas for Russians to fully prevent undesirable persons from Russia from entering the territory of Ukraine.
Lutsenko also said the introduction of visas with Russia may indicate Ukraine's agreement with the "annexation" of Crimea.
The introduction of visas will restrict freedom of travel for residents of the regions close to the border and will restrict Ukrainians' capabilities of working on the territory of Russia, she said. "And we can't give them work now," Lutsenko said.
"There is currently no need [for the introduction of visas]," she said.