Putin introduced an accelerated procedure for obtaining Russian citizenship for all Ukrainians

Putin signed a decree on a simplified procedure for obtaining Russian citizenship for all citizens of Ukraine. Before the Russian invasion, this order extended to residents of the self-proclaimed republics of Donbass, in May, residents of the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions, partially occupied by Russia, were added to them, reports with the BBC.

Photo: Shutterstock

Legally, the changes look very short: Putin edited his decree of April 2019 and wrote that the simplified procedure applies to all citizens of Ukraine, as well as residents of the “DNR” and “LNR”, whose independence Russia, at the suggestion of its president, recognized before the invasion.

The decree was signed against the backdrop of reports that the State Duma, which has gone on summer vacation, will meet on July 15 for a plenary session. The Federation Council will also meet on the same day. According to Kommersant, the first and third items on the agenda are unknown. And RIA Novosti sources claim that “nothing extraordinary should be expected.”

The Kremlin has repeatedly argued that its plans do not include a complete takeover of Ukraine and a change of government, but the way the war has developed since February 24 has allowed these claims to be questioned.

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On May 25, Putin signed a decree on simplified admission to Russian citizenship for residents of the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions of Ukraine. A significant part of these territories is occupied by the Russian army; the occupation authorities have announced their intention to hold “referendums” this year and join Russia.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly stated that his country intends to return all the territories seized after February 24.

In February, the invasion began with an attempt to seize Kyiv and other regions of Ukraine, but in March Moscow announced that it would focus its military efforts on the Donbass. In addition, the Russian military continues to hold positions in the south of the country. The fears expressed in the spring about attempts to seize the Odessa region were not confirmed.

The day before, the American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) predicted that the Kremlin was likely seeking to annex part or all of the Kharkov region in eastern Ukraine. Reuters, in turn, wrote that Russian troops are unlikely to leave the south of Ukraine - the agency drew this conclusion from an interview with Russian Ambassador to Britain Andrei Kelin.

Since February 24, Russian forces have taken control of a large swath of territory in southern Ukraine over Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014. Asked how the conflict could end, the Russian ambassador said it was hard to imagine Russian and Russian-backed forces withdrawing from southern Ukraine. He also stated that the Ukrainian military would be pushed back from all over Donbass.

Putin's 2019 decree stated that consideration of applications for Russian citizenship submitted by residents of certain regions of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions of Ukraine should take no more than three months.

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The simplified procedure involves obtaining a passport without otherwise mandatory exams and compliance with the requirement to reside in Russia for more than five years. To obtain citizenship, it is enough to submit an application and several other documents - in particular, an identity document.

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