Arseniy Yatsenyuk: Government suspends effect of Agreement between Ukraine and the RF on small border traffic

The Government of Ukraine has approved a decision to terminate the effect of the Agreement between Ukraine and the Russian Federation on small border traffic. Prime Minister of Ukraine Arseniy Yatsenyuk announced at a session of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine on Wednesday, March 4.

"Starting from March 16, it will be allowed to cross the state border only through international checkpoints, which are fully controlled by the Ukrainian authorities. The Agreement on local border traffic between Ukraine and Russia is suspended by the Ukrainian side," the Head of Government stressed.

"It's a matter of national security and control over the travel of citizens, primarily of the Russian Federation, who, unfortunately, aren’t coming here for tourism purposes. They have the Russian tanks as "tourist cars". And their tickets – are those of the Russian military personnel. Their travel agency - Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation and the GRU [Main Intelligence Directorate – ed.] of the General Staff of the Russian Federation," he said.

Arseniy Yatsenyuk has instructed the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine and the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine - to take measures to implement the decision of the Cabinet of Ministers, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine – to officially notify the Russian side about the unilateral termination of the Agreement on small border traffic.