French Delegation Banned Entry to Ukraine After a Visit to Crimea

The Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) has banned ten members of the Senate of the French Parliament entry to Ukraine after their visit to the peninsula. The politicians will not be able to enter the country for three years, media reported.

Kiev authorities consider the visit a destructive step as it was made “without consent with the Ukrainian side”. The actions of those French citizens are "contrary to the interests of national security and infringe on the state sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine," the official site of the SBU said.

Head of the French delegation Thierry Mariani stated that such a decision is a part of the Foreign Minister’s authority, but expressed doubts about the appropriateness of such measures.

The French delegation visited Crimea on July 23-24 to assess the situation and the mood of the population on the peninsula. They held meetings with local leaders and talked to the residents in Simferopol, Sevastopol and Yalta.

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry which considers Crimea an “occupied territory” stated that the visit had not been agreed with the Ukrainian side and is therefore unlawful. Official Paris called the visit “a violation of international law.”