Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian parliament) introduced a bill that is banning Russian citizens from serving as observers at the presidential elections in Ukraine.
The Bill №9524 was approved by 232 deputies.
According to the new law, the citizens of a country that was recognized as an aggressor state or an occupying state cannot be official observers during the elections. As well as citizens of other countries that were introduced as observers officially introduced by the Russian Federation.
Bill’s explanatory note states that the new law was adopted “in order to minimize the risks and threats of Russia’s interference with the elections process in Ukraine.”
Citing the Security Service of Ukraine the initiators of the bill stated that Russia is preparing “unprecedented interference in the Ukrainian elections” and expected to spend about 350 million USD to finance its special services.