Russia speeds citizenship for Ukrainians
MOSCOW — Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree Wednesday to expedite citizenship applications from Ukrainians who live in parts of Ukraine held by Russia-backed separatists, a move that stands to impede a peace process to end years of bloodshed.
The decree, which was published on the Kremlin’s website, states that some residents in the parts of Ukraine’s Donetsk and Luhansk regions that are under separatist control will have their applications considered in fewer than three months. Those granted Russian citizenship would have to swear allegiance to Russia.
Putin’s decision could trigger a major escalation of the war that started in eastern Ukraine in 2014 and shatter hopes for peace in the area — also known as Donbass — that were renewed with the election of a new Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
Zelenskiy’s office said in a statement that the move confirms Russia’s role as an “aggressor state” in the conflict in the east and added that it “does not bring us closer to the main goal of stopping the war.”
Outgoing President Petro Poroshenko called Putin’s decree “yet another unprecedented act of Russian interference in Ukrainian affairs” and accused Moscow of undermining the peace process.
Only holders of ID cards issued by separatist authorities will be eligible for the expedite procedure offered by Putin. Separatist authorities said Wednesday that they had issued about 300,000 such ID cards in the area with an estimated population of 3.7 million.