Ukraine passes bill to get occupied regions back from Russia
Conservative party seeks to restrict the law
18 January, 18:41The conflict in eastern Ukraine erupted weeks after Russia's annexation of Crimea and has killed more than 10,000 people since April 2014. The 2015 Minsk peace deal helped reduce the scope of hostilities, but clashes have continued and attempts at a political settlement have stalled.
The bill, passed after raucous debate, contains no reference to the 2015 peace deal brokered by France and Germany that obliged Ukraine to pass legislation offering a broad autonomy to the separatist regions and a sweeping amnesty to the rebels. The bill backs a ban on trade and a transport blockade of the east that Ukraine introduced last year. Of all the documents issued by separatist authorities, Ukraine would only recognize birth and death certificates. (ANSA-AP).