22/05/2017 (Agence Europe) – On Monday 22 May, the spokesperson for the European External Action Service Maja Kocijancic stated that while the Ukrainian government was responsible for the protection of national security, it was important to respect the freedom of expression at a time when several online services based in Russia have been blocked. "We expect the authorities to ensure that restrictive measures taken on the grounds of national security do not have a negative impact on the fundamental right to free expression", she said in response to a question from EUROPE. "We look forward to further explanations of the Ukrainian authorities, including as to the temporary nature of these measures", Kocijancic added. On 16 May, the Ukrainian presidency published a decree introducing sanctions against Russia, including a block on Russian websites and social networks. (CG)