Kremlin denies breaking Minsk deal over rebel papers

MOSCOW Russia denied on Monday its recent unilateral move to recognize legal documents issued in parts of the breakaway Ukrainian territories of Donetsk and Luhansk was against the Minsk agreements. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the executive order signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday was done for “humanitarian” purposes. "There is no violation of international law [or] Minsk agreements. There is no reason for aggravating the situation," Peskov was quoted as saying by Russia's official TASS news agency. Saturday’s executive order said Russia would recognize documents such as vehicle registration plates, birth certificates and ID cards issued in certain parts of the disputed regions of eastern Ukraine. It also said Ukrainian citizens and stateless persons “permanently residing” in the two regions would be able to enter and leave Russia without applying for visas, if they produced valid documents. Ukraine has been wracked by conflict since March 2014 following Russia’s annexation of Crimea after an illegal independence vote.