Russian President issues decree to fast-track citizenship for Ukrainians

Russian President Vladimir Putin has on Monday issued a decree to fast-track citizenship for all Ukrainians.

This is coming more than four months into Moscow’s military offensive in Ukraine.

The decree ordered that “all citizens of Ukraine” be given “the right to apply for admission to the citizenship of the Russian Federation in a simplified manner.”

In May, Putin already fast-tracked citizenship for residents of two regions of Ukraine, the southern region of Kherson, which is almost entirely under the full control of Russian troops, and the southeastern region of Zaporizhzhia, which is partially controlled by Moscow.

In 2019, a similar decree allowed the same simplified procedure for residents of the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics, eastern Ukraine’s breakaway regions.

Moscow and pro-Moscow officials in areas controlled by Kremlin troops have said they could become part of Russia.