Israel is changing its entry visa policy and introducing entry restrictions for Ukrainian citizens, so Ukraine will be forced to respond accordingly, but remains open to dialogue with Israel on this issue, Ukrainian Ambassador to Israel Yevhen Korniychuk said.

"Starting July 1, citizens from countries with visa-free access to Israel, including Ukraine, must apply for an ETA-IL permit for stays up to 90 days," the Ukrainian Embassy in Israel said on the Facebook page on Friday.

In response, the ambassador said, Ukraine would introduce similar pre-approval requirements for visas for Israelis, which would impact, in particular, the thousands of religious pilgrims who visit Ukraine each year.

"Ukraine and Israel have enjoyed close ties since establishing a visa-free policy in 2010. However, recent Israeli actions, such as restricting Ukrainian refugees and denying entry to many Ukrainians, have strained this relationship. The latest requirement effectively ends the visa-free regime. In response, Ukraine will impose similar pre-approval requirements for Israeli citizens, including pilgrims," ​​the embassy said in a statement.

At the same time, Korniychuk said "Ukraine remains open to dialogue with Israel to discuss and negotiate these travel policy changes for the benefit of both nations."