July 17, 2022

Forced Integration, Continued


Forced Integration, Continued
The invader's supreme weapon.  Pexels, Tima Miroshnichenko

On June 11, 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree that will allow all Ukrainian citizens access to a streamlined Russian citizenship process.

In May, the Russian President signed a decree allowing for citizens of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia to quickly acquire a Russian passport. The measure was clearly designed to rapidly integrate the occupied region and its citizens into the Russian Federation.

The streamlined process now enables all Ukrainian citizens to receive Russian citizenship in an expedited manner without completing residency requirements or a Russian language exam, as is standard practice.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba referred to the decree as confirmation of “Putin’s aggressive appetites,” as it now allows for even easier annexation of Ukrainian lands and people.

The decree can be seen here in Russian.

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