Ukraine protests Russian decision on goods from occupied Donbas region

KYIV, Ukraine

Ukraine on Tuesday protested a recent decision by Russia that recognizes goods produced in Donetsk and Luhansk that are under occupation of pro-Russian separatists since 2014.

The decree signed Monday by Russian President Vladimir Putin is a gross interference of Ukraine’s internal affairs and a violation of Ukrainian and international law, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Putin signed the decree recognizing certificates of origin of goods produced in the Donbas region and hence equating them with Russian goods.

The ministry said the decree, along with the establishment of custom gates along Russia’s border with the occupied Donbas region, reveals Russia’s intention to incorporate Donbas into its economic, electoral and informational space.

“The signing of the decree contradicts Russia’s obligations under the Minsk agreements and the agreements within the Normandy format, undermines the efforts of Germany, France, and Ukraine to restore the efficient work of these important sites for a peaceful settlement," it said.

The ministry noted that the relevant note of protest was sent to the Russian Foreign Ministry.

Donbas crisis

Demonstrations erupted in the capital of Kyiv on Nov. 21, 2013, after Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych did not sign a European Union Association Agreement that sought closer economic ties with Russia.

After Yanukovych fled the country in February 2014, demonstrations grew and pro-Russian separatists declared their so-called independence in Donetsk and Lugansk in the eastern part of the country.

More than 13,000 people have been killed in clashes between separatists and the Kyiv government since 2014.

​​​​​​​* Writing by Ahmet Gencturk