Spanish Journalist Sanctioned by Kiev Says Never Been to Ukraine

MADRID (Sputnik) — Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko signed a decree on Wednesday barring almost 400 individuals, including over 40 journalists and bloggers from Russia, the United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, Switzerland, Poland, Israel and Latvia from entering Ukraine.

On Friday, Poroshenko lifted sanctions against six European journalists, including Spain’s Antonio Pampliega and Angel Sastre, among a group of journalists presumably kidnapped in Syria this summer. However, Cesar Vidal remained on the blacklist.

"I have never been to Ukraine in my life, but I understand the bitterness of the Ukrainian nationalists towards me," Vidal said.

Kiev explained the decision to retain sanctions on Vidal by claiming he had acted as an observer at Crimea's referendum on its secession from Ukraine, an illegal act from the Kiev point of view. The sanction justifications include an accusation that the journalist made remarks describing Ukraine as an artificial state.

Crimea rejoined Russia in March 2014, after 96 percent of the peninsula’s population voted in favor of a reunification deal.

According to Vidal, the Spanish radio host, historian and contributor to La Razon daily newspaper, the claim that he had been an observer in the Crimea vote "is a lie which are common among the Ukrainian nationalists."

"I have not attended the referendum, nor have I ever been an observer for any private or public organization," he stressed.

Nonetheless, the journalist confirmed his criticism of Ukrainian statehood.

"I am convinced that Ukraine is an artificial state with no historical basis — in Kiev emerged the first Russian state in the history – that is not viable, that experiences coups from time to time and is maintained only to threaten Russia's security," the journalist said.

Supporting the policies of the current Ukrainian government causes serious damage to the reputation of the EU institutions, Cesar Vidal said.

"For years I have been denouncing the falsification of history by Kiev, the scandalous manipulation of information, its anti-freedom nature, the shameful honoring of Ukrainians' participation in the Waffen-SS forces during the Holocaust and World War II, stressing the damage that support of the Ukrainian authorities causes to the European Union and Spain," Vidal said.

The Spanish radio host added that he did not feel sanctioned despite his name being on Kiev's blacklist.

"I have no intention of visiting Ukraine and have not planned to do so. The idea of ​​visiting a country whose government claims to be democratic and, at the same time, is ruthlessly bombing women, children and the elderly is sickening," Vidal pointed out.