There are no citizens in Russia who would be persecuted for political reasons. So on Monday, December 20, the press secretary of the President of Russia Dmitry Peskov answered the question of journalists about the possible impact of the law adopted in Ukraine, which simplifies the acquisition of citizenship of Russians persecuted by Moscow, at the alleged meeting of the leaders of the two countries.
“There is legislation and they are prosecuted,” said a Kremlin spokesman.
As Peskov continued, there is no substantive preparation for the meeting between the presidents of the Russian Federation and Ukraine.
“We do not receive specific proposals from our Ukrainian colleagues; this factor can hardly be taken into account,” he concluded.
On December 18, Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskiy signed a law that simplifies the granting of Ukrainian citizenship to Russians allegedly persecuted in Russia for political reasons.
To grant Ukrainian citizenship to certain categories of foreigners, it will be enough to submit an application and a declaration of renunciation of the previously existing citizenship.
The Verkhovna Rada adopted the document on December 14. The next day, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that the document was a manifestation of the worst practices of apartheid. She wondered how the international community allowed such a phenomenon in a state that associates itself with the Western community.
At the moment, according to the legislation of Ukraine, citizens of the country cannot have a passport of another state.
In early December, Zelenskiy introduced a bill on multiple citizenship for Ukrainians living abroad. At the same time, he clarified that Kiev cannot grant citizenship to all ethnic Ukrainians, since some of them live in “unfriendly countries,” including Russia.
The head of the State Duma Committee on CIS Affairs, Eurasian Integration and Relations with Compatriots Leonid Kalashnikov said that this decision would lead to the division of Ukrainians into first and second class.
Source: IZ
Jane Stock is a technology author, who has written for 24 Hours World. She writes about the latest in technology news and trends, and is always on the lookout for new and innovative ways to improve his audience’s experience.
