BEIJING, April 28 (NNN-TASS) – Moscow is considering the possibility of easing citizenship rules for all Ukrainian nationals, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a press conference wrapping up his visit to China.
“We are thinking about providing the right to obtain Russian passports under a simplified procedure to all Ukrainian nationals,” he said.
Putin emphasized that the decision to ease Russian citizenship for LPR and DPR residents “was not spontaneous, it was not made at the spur of the moment.” “Before the decree was singed, we had made all the calculations concerning the number of people that may apply for citizenship, including the number of retired persons – they account for about 30% of the possible applicants,” Putin said.
On April 24, the Russian president signed a decree, which eases Russian citizenship rules for residents of certain regions of southeastern Ukraine. “Individuals permanently residing in certain areas of Ukraine’s Donetsk and Lugansk regions have the right to apply for Russian citizenship under a simplified procedure,” the decree reads. According to the document, the decision has been made “in order to protect human rights and freedoms” based on generally accepted international laws.
NNN-TASS
