DISINFO: Only two EU countries opposed the issue of Russian passports in the Donbas
SUMMARY
Lithuania and Estonia are the only countries in the European Union that have opposed the issue of Russian passports by the Kremlin in Donbas.
RESPONSE
This Kremlin narrative is not backed up with evidence. Russian President Vladimir Putin previously signed a decree on simplified citizenship for residents of the occupied territories of Ukraine. In response, Kуiv stated that the Kremlin is, unprecedentedly, interfering in the country's internal affairs and is preparing for the next phase of aggression against Ukraine. Contrary to statements by the Russian media about the EU’s “indifference” to this issue, Ukraine’s international partners immediately responded to this development. During the June 2019 EU summit, EU states expressed their support for Kуiv and collectively condemned Russia’s actions. On top, Estonia has already refused to recognise the Russian passports of Donbas residents and France also stated that the decision to grant citizenship to the inhabitants of the occupied territories is contrary to peace agreements. The Lithuanian Foreign Ministry has stated that EU is currently preparing a coordinated response to the Kremlin for the illegal issuing of passports to Ukrainians in the occupied territories and emphasised that the intention not to recognise these passports has been repeatedly declared by the international community.