UWC condemns Russia’s offering passports in Ukraine’s occupied territories as highly provocative

Russia intensifies its assault on Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity – strong international response required

Kyiv, Ukraine – April 26, 2019 – UWC calls on the international community to rebuke the Russian Federation for its clear violation of international law for promoting Russian citizenship to the people living in Russian-occupied territories of eastern Ukraine. 

“Russia will now compel Ukrainians in the occupied Donbas region to take on Russian citizenship,” stated UWC President Paul Grod.  “This is a clear violation of international law and the so-called Minsk peace agreements, which Russia has consistently violated.  Moreover, Russia’s President Putin is testing Ukraine’s President-elect with such provocations.  We expect that Mr. Zelenskiy will clearly condemn such provocations and call for further sanctions in response to Russia’s efforts to entrench their occupation of Donbas.”

The decree signed this week by Vladimir Putin, states that residents in the Ukraine’s Donetsk and Luhansk regions that are under Russian occupation will have their applications for Russian citizenship expedited.