Ukrainian Rada calls for further sanctions pressure on Russia

Ukraine's Verkhovna Rada has called on Europe to continue its sanctions policy against Russia, and on the leaders of the European Union, the United States, Canada, Japan and Australia, to classify the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics (DPR and LPR, respectively) as terrorist organizations.

"The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine urges the European Parliament, PACE (Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe), the national parliaments of the EU member states, the governments of the EU member states, the US, Canada, Japan and Australia to continue their sanctions policy against Russia as a country which violated international law, annexed part of Ukraine, i.e. the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, and supports the terrorist organizations - the DPR and LPR," the Ukrainian parliament said in a letter voted for by 241 of its members on Wednesday.

By its actions Russia "has constantly violated the Minsk accords," it said.

Verkhovna Rada asked the EU, the U.S., Canada, Japan and Australia "to explore the possibility of providing Ukraine with aid with the aim of boosting its defensive capabilities for the protection of its borders," the document said.

The Ukrainian parliamentarians also urged international community to continue the policy of not recognizing Crimea as a part of Russia and continue "joint opposition to Russian propaganda."