Russia defends passport recognition

MOSCOW: Russia says President Vladimir Putin’s decision to recognise passports issued by separatist rebels in eastern Ukraine comply with international law, after the move drew criticism from France, Germany and the European Union.

Putin on Saturday issued an order for Russian authorities to recognise identity documents, diplomas, birth and marriage certificates and vehicle registration plates issued in the separatistheld regions of Donetsk and Luhansk in east Ukraine.

The Kremlin said the legislation would be in place until a ‘‘political settlement of the situation’’ in these regions was reached. The peace deal brokered by Berlin and Paris between Kiev, Moscow and the Russiabacked rebels in Minsk in 2015 has long been stalled.

‘‘The Russian Federation is working, first and foremost, on humanitarian grounds,’’ the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on its website.

‘‘The order fully complies with international law, which does not prohibit the recogni tion of documents needed to implement the rights and freedoms granted by the authorities which are not internationally recognised.’’

Ukrainian authorities have denounced Putin’s decision and say the order violates the Minsk peace process, criticisms echoed by France, Germany and the EU capital Brussels.

A German government spokesman said the move was ‘‘a stark contradiction to all that was agreed in Minsk’’.

An EU spokeswoman said the Russian decree was ‘‘not in keeping with the spirit of the Minsk agreements’’ and that the bloc would not recognise documents by the selfproclaimed rebel authorities in east Ukraine.

‘‘The EU remains unwavering in its support for Ukraine’s territorial integrity, sovereignty and unity,’’ she said.

Fighting has recently escalated in the conflict between Ukrainian forces and Russianbacked separatists in eastern Ukraine, refocusing global attention on a simmering conflict that has strained relations between Russia and the West. — Reuters