Putin signs decree which expedites process for Ukrainians to obtain Russian citizenship

Residents of Ukraine's entire territory now have an option of obtaining Russian citizenship more quickly. On July 11, Russian President Vladimir Putin issued the corresponding decree, which was published on the official portal of Russian legal information. Previously, the simplified procedure for obtaining Russian citizenship applied only to residents of the DPR and LPR, as well as the Ukrainian regions of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia.

The official statement, according to TASS, reads, "Establish that citizens of Ukraine, the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) or the Luhansk People's Republic (LPR) and stateless persons permanently residing in the territory of the Donetsk People's Republic, Lugansk People's Republic or Ukraine, including those who previously had Russian citizenship and issued exit from citizens of the Russian Federation in accordance with the established procedure, have the right to apply for admission to the citizenship of the Russian Federation in a simplified manner."

According to the article of federal law referred to in the decree, foreigners have the right to apply for Russian citizenship through a simplified procedure without having to meet conditions such as a five-year period of residence in Russia, a source of income, and a test of Russian language knowledge. Military service or service in DPR and LPR law enforcement agencies will not be an impediment to refugees from these republics obtaining Russian citizenship in a streamlined manner. 

The document further added, "The stay of such persons in military service cannot be used to reject applications for admission to Russian Federation citizenship filed by persons serving in the military, security agencies, or law enforcement agencies of the Donetsk People's Republic or the Luhansk People's Republic."

Putin's 2019 decree simplified the process of obtaining Russian citizenship for residents of the DPR and LPR (at that time these were separate regions of the Donetsk and Luhansk of Ukraine, but now the decree was updated). According to the document, it was signed "in order to protect the rights and freedoms of man and citizen, guided by the generally recognised principles and norms of international law" and in accordance with the article of the Russian Federation's citizenship law. The decree was amended at the end of May this year, and the simplified acquisition of Russian citizenship was also extended to residents of Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions.

^{Image: AP}