Trending Ukraine: World news as of April 21, 2016

Ukraine has banned Russian films, including TV dramas and documentaries, made since 1 January 2014 in what Kiev regards as «an aggressor state». The ban follows other restrictive measures imposed by Russia and Ukraine on each other since Russia’s annexation of Crimea in March 2014 (BBC news).

No talks on lifting Western sanctions against Russia should take place until Moscow completely withdraws its military presence from Ukraine, President Petro Poroshenko said on Thursday (Radu Marinas, Reuters).

The European Union’s executive on Wednesday formally backed visa-free access for Ukrainians to the bloc, opening the way for member states to debate the proposal (Laurence Norman, The Wall Street Journal).

President Petro Poroshenko said he and Romanian President Klaus Iohannis agreed that “discussions related to cancelling sanctions imposed on Russia cannot take place until the aggression stops” (Washington Post).

The European Union is considering a proposal to offer visa-free travel up to 90 days in the 28-nation bloc to Ukrainians, rewarding the country for its judicial and security reforms (The Voice of America).

EMPR

Maria Nesheva

 

Tags: crimea ukraine russia EMPR kiev