Lubinec met with the new Ombudsman of the Russian Federation
Dmytro Lubinets, the Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights, held a meeting with the newly appointed Russian Ombudsman, Yana Lantratova. The parties discussed working issues and agreed on a format for cooperation, despite the absence of diplomatic relations between Ukraine and Russia. The focus is primarily on humanitarian and civil appeals from citizens.
Dmytro Lubinets reported on the meeting itself on social media, noting that the dialogue with the Russian side is effectively starting “from scratch,” since there are currently no official diplomatic relations between the countries, and all contacts take place in a narrow working format.
According to Lubinets, during the conversation, the parties discussed a number of issues related to citizens’ appeals and civil law situations, and agreed to exchange official documents that may be necessary to resolve specific humanitarian issues. “Together with the Human Rights Commissioner of the Russian Federation, we discussed a number of important issues and, in fact, are starting from scratch,” Lubinets noted.
He also emphasized that the agreement on the working format of cooperation primarily involves the technical exchange of information, which should help resolve citizens’ appeals received by the institutions of both sides. “Since there are no diplomatic relations between the parties, we agreed on a working format for cooperation—the exchange of official documents regarding civil law matters in accordance with the needs of citizens who turn to our institutions,” Lubinets reported.
Separately, the Ombudsman thanked his Russian counterpart for the constructive dialogue and also noted the role of Ukrainian and international partners involved in the processes of repatriating citizens and addressing humanitarian issues. “Iryna Anatoliivna Kostevych and the Belarusian side also played an important role in organizing this meeting—thank you for your assistance and coordination,” Lubinets added.
Currently, the parties have expressed their readiness to maintain working contacts within the scope of their authority, focusing primarily on human rights issues and individual appeals from citizens. Lubinets announced this on Facebook.
Even after the war ends, Ukraine will maintain strict restrictions on the entry of Russian citizens, tightening checks and authorization procedures. This was stated by Foreign Minister Andriy Sibiga, who emphasized that Russia is considered an aggressor state.
After the war ends, Ukraine plans to introduce special restrictive entry procedures for Russian citizens. Foreign Minister Andriy Sibiga announced this during a press conference in Vinnytsia. According to him, this involves enhanced controls, inspections, and a permit system for visiting the country.
