Zelensky: Russian passportization in eastern Ukraine violates Minsk agreements

The Minsk agreements do not provide for the issuance of passports of the Russian Federation to residents of the temporarily occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky said this at the VIP with Natalia Moseychuk TV program, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

The President noted that he did not know exactly how many passports Russia had already issued to residents of the temporarily occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions. "Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Danilov said that 650,000 [passports have been issued]. The confirmed number is 350,000-400,000… The people who live there with Russian passports also have Ukrainian passports. This – passportization – is a big problem that is not provided for in the Minsk [agreements]. This proves that the Russian Federation violates the Minsk [agreements]," Zelensky said.

"What was signed in 2015 [Minsk agreements], I think it is barely alive. The point is that today the Normandy format relying on the Minsk format, or the Minsk format relying on the Normandy format meetings is the only document, the only agenda. It's true. It should not be closed, but another agenda should be opened," the President said.

According to him, meetings with the presidents of the United States and Russia may form another agenda for resolving these issues.

"At least we need to do everything possible for that," Zelensky summed up.

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