"I am very disappointed with the proposal. It was a very unfriendly decision, especially considering Ukraine has a lot of refugees and temporarily displaced people due to the ongoing military aggression from Russia," he said in a press briefing on Tuesday.

Bali Governor Wayan Koster proposed on Sunday to the central government that the visa-on-arrival policy for visitors from those two countries, which are currently engaged in a protracted war, be terminated following increased reports that these tourists are misusing their tourist visas to find employment on the island.

"Why these particular two countries? Currently, they are at war, so they come to Bali not only as tourists but also to work," Koster told the press on Sunday.

The proposal also comes as Indonesians in Bali have taken to social media to complain about foreign tourists, particularly Russians and Ukrainians, and their rude behavior, alleged traffic rule violations and how they made a living in Bali without the proper documents.

Last week, a 37-year-old Ukrainian tourist was arrested by the Bali Police for allegedly paying a local Rp 31 million (US$2,005) to illegally obtain an Indonesian identification card and family card (KK) to extend his stay on the island. On Friday, immigration deported three female Russian tourists for violating their stay permits and allegedly engaging in commercial sex work in Bali. This year, the Bali Immigration Office has deported 31 foreign tourists from the island, many of whom were Russian, for reasons ranging from overstaying their visas to working illegally.

Vasyl said that the plan to terminate visa-on-arrival for Ukrainians lacks "logical grounds", adding that only a small number of Ukrainian tourists had violated regulations in Indonesia in the past four years.

"Based on the data from Indonesia's immigration office, there were only eight Ukrainians who were deported and five Ukrainians who were arrested by the local police between 2019-2023 – all only committed minor offenses," he said.

"There are currently around 5,000 Ukrainians in Bali. They generally follow all Indonesian laws and norms. They also contribute a lot to the local economy," he added.

Ukraine and Russia are among a total of 86 countries that are eligible for visa-on-arrival facilities in Indonesia.

Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Sandiaga Uno said that the government would discuss the Bali governor's proposal to terminate the visa-on-arrival for tourists from Ukraine and Russia with other stakeholders.

"We need [thorough] research before deciding to end visa-on-arrival facilities for Ukraine and Russia. So far, the number of violations committed by tourists from both countries is not significant," Sandiaga said on Monday as reported by Kompas.com. He previously said the government would not allow efforts to cultivate tourism to get in the way of preventing behavior that violated the law or cultural norms.

Vasyl is planning to meet the Bali governor in the near future to further discuss the visa-on-arrival termination issue.

"I'm working closely with the Ukrainian community in Bali to ensure that they abide by all Indonesian regulations and local custom," he said. "I urge all Indonesians to keep treating all Ukrainians as friends and with sympathy, for many of them have lost their homes and families during this war."

The Russian embassy in Jakarta was not immediately available for comment when contacted by The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.