Ukraine slams Russia for barring president's Zhulinsky from entry

Foreign Ministry of Ukraine criticized Moscow on Wednesday for barring a top adviser to Ukraine's president from entering Russia just hours after Ukraine rejected entry to a Russian nationalist leader.

Mykola Zhulinsky, a senior aide to Ukraine's President Viktor Yushchenko on cultural issues was denied entry to Russia late Tuesday while traveling to St. Petersburg on a private trip.

That happened hours after Alexander Dugin, the leader of Russia's nationalist Eurasian Movement was deported from Ukraine's southern city of Simferopol. Kiev had declared Dugin persona non grata, arguing he sought to destabilize the country.

The Foreign Ministry on Wednesday sent Russia a protest note, calling the incident "inhumane treatment" of its citizen and demanding an official explanation.

Over the past few years Kiev has denied entry to a number of Russian officials and politicians who have participated in anti-government protests in Ukraine and have harshly criticized its authorities. Moscow has retaliated by expelling Ukrainian citizens.