Brussels, 16/05/2014 (Agence Europe) - On 13 May, the self-proclaimed People's Republic of Donetsk announced a ban on entering the regions of Donetsk and Lugansk, in the east of Ukraine, for several Western leaders - including High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton, Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel and UK Prime Minister David Cameron.
Ashton's spokesperson said that the EU did not recognise the referendums of 11 May or the self-proclaimed authorities as they had no “democratic legitimacy”. According to the document signed by the co-president of the government of the self-proclaimed republic, Denis Pushilin - who was quoted by Ukrainian media - Ashton has been sanctioned because she did not punish the Ukrainian government for the operations conducted in the east of the country against civilians, and because the EU supports the actions of the provisional government. (CG)