British Vote ‘May Postpone’ Visa-free Travel for Ukrainians

The results of the referendum on Britain’s exit from the European Union will have negative consequences for Ukraine, according to the First Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Iryna Herashchenko. She says that Europe has had a hard time with the migration crisis and is covered by a "tsunami of euroscepticism", which may postpone introduction of visa-free travel for Ukrainians.

Herashchenko also says that serious issues inside the European Union make its leaders concentrate on the situation within their borders and close their eyes to everything outside. In her opinion, this is a very beneficial state of affairs for Russia. However Herashchenko thinks Ukraine should keep moving in the Euroatlantic direction.

Volodymyr Ariev, an MP from Petro Poroshenko Bloc, has a similar opinion. He thinks that in an attempt to ease the external and internal tensions, the EU will start gradually lifting the sanctions on Russia and postpone visa-free travel for Ukraine, Georgia, and Turkey indefinitely. Ariev says that Ukraine should learn to stand united in the face of the enemy that will become more active, as we need to persevere in the name of those who have fallen for our independence.

Serhiy Leshchenko, also a Petro Poroshenko Bloc MP, says that there will be much less pro-Ukrainian advocacy in the EU without Britain. He says that Brexit will make the EU fall deeper into crisis and make Putin happy.

Hanna Hopko, head of the parliamentary Foreign Affairs committee, thinks that Russia will exert more pressure on Europe after Britain leaves. She also says that postponing visa-free travel  undermines the credibility of the bloc, as Ukraine "has fulfilled all conditions", and now it’s the EU that "is not acting on its promises." She believes that with the increase in euroscepticism NATO will assume a more important role.

On June 23, 51.9% of British voters chose for the UK to leave the European Union.

Source: Olena Roshchenko, Ukrayinska Pravda