Putin simplified passport issuance in Transnistria: Zelensky warned of risks for the region
Фото: ОП
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has warned of a new potential threat from Russia after the Kremlin’s decision to simplify obtaining Russian citizenship for residents of Transnistria. According to the head of state, Ukraine will coordinate actions with Moldova and prepare a response to Moscow’s actions.
He wrote about this in Telegram .
In his address, Zelensky commented on Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decree on simplified obtaining of Russian citizenship for residents of unrecognized Transnistria.
According to the president, this step may indicate not only Russia’s attempt to increase mobilization resources, since Russian citizenship entails military service, but also the Kremlin’s intentions to strengthen its influence in the region.
“They in Moscow often tell various interlocutors that they are supposedly only interested in Donbas. In fact, it is far from only Donbas,” said Volodymyr Zelensky.
The President also emphasized that the presence of Russian military and special services in Transnistria poses a challenge to Ukraine’s security.
According to Zelensky, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine has already been instructed to initiate contacts with Moldova to jointly assess the situation and coordinate further actions. In addition, Ukrainian special services and intelligence should prepare proposals on the format of the response.
“Russia needs to think more about its refineries and its oil processing, not about the citizens of other states and the land of other peoples,” the president said.
Earlier, Vladimir Putin signed a decree “On the admission of residents of Transnistria to citizenship of the Russian Federation,” which simplifies the procedure for obtaining Russian passports for residents of the region.
According to the document, the right to simplified citizenship is granted to foreigners and stateless persons over the age of 18 who permanently reside in Transnistria. A separate procedure is also provided for minors and incapacitated persons. The decree stipulates that applications for Russian citizenship must be submitted through Russian diplomatic or consular institutions.
The document states that the decision was made “in order to protect the rights and freedoms of man and citizen” and is based on “generally recognized principles and norms of international law.”
Russia has previously used similar mechanisms to issue passports in the occupied territories of Georgia, including Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Transnistria is a self-proclaimed entity in Moldova that is not recognized by any UN member state. Since 1992, a Russian military contingent of approximately 1,000-1,500 troops has been stationed in the region.
Moldova has repeatedly demanded the withdrawal of Russian troops from the territory of Transnistria, but Moscow and Tiraspol have stated their intention to leave the contingent until the “conflict is resolved.”
It was previously reported that the Ukrainian Defense Forces are strengthening defensive lines in the Transnistrian direction and are preparing for any development of events due to the presence of the Russian military contingent in the region.
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