“We give opportunity, but we do not force it”: Nebenzya - on simplifying the procedure for obtaining Russian citizenship by residents of Donbass

The decision of the Russian authorities on the simplified issuance of Russian passports to residents of the self-proclaimed Luhansk and Donetsk people's republics does not pose a threat to peace and security. This was stated by the country's Permanent Representative Vasily Nebenzya at a meeting of the UN Security Council.

“Having listened to our Western colleagues, one can make a false impression that Russia forcibly forces citizens of Ukraine to change citizenship and at the same time - of course, well, without it, it“ violates ”the Minsk agreements. I want to ask you again: “What point of the Minsk agreements are we violating? Have you read them? ”Said Nebenzya.

We note that even before the meeting, the countries - members of the European Union in the UN Security Council stated their position on this issue and stated that Moscow’s actions contradict the “goals and spirit of the Minsk agreements” and undermine the territorial integrity of Ukraine.

“The adoption of this decision immediately after the presidential elections in Ukraine, which demonstrated Ukraine’s firm commitment to democracy and the rule of law, shows Russia's desire to further destabilize Ukraine and exacerbate the conflict,” the document read by France’s Permanent Representative to the UN Francois Delatre said.

He was echoed by US Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, Jonathan Cohen. According to him, Moscow has taken an extremely provocative step, since those living in the Donbass are Ukrainians regardless of what language they speak.

“Granting citizenship on a massive scale to citizens of another state undermines and violates the principle of sovereignty. Russia's actions undermine the fundamental principles of the Minsk Agreements that the Donbass is part of Ukraine, and the Ukrainian authorities must establish control over this territory, ”he added.

At the same time, Ukraine’s permanent representative to the UN, Vladimir Yelchenko, spoke in favor of “new targeted sanctions against Russia,” since Moscow allegedly undermines the Minsk agreements, and issuing passports “legitimizes its presence” in south-eastern Ukraine and interferes in the internal affairs of the country.

“The decree of the Russian president is illegal. The presidential decree is illegal, and Ukraine does not recognize it, ”said the Ukrainian diplomat.

"Russia is not engaged in creeping annexation"

Meanwhile, Nebenzia stressed that Moscow, by its decree, does not require that residents of the DPR and LNR renounce Ukrainian citizenship, and it is not timed "for some event or is a kind of signal for someone."

“We do not interfere in internal affairs and do not deal with creeping annexation. We only give people the opportunity to finally fundamentally solve the problems that are vital for them, because the Kiev authorities refuse to solve these problems, ”the diplomat stressed.

He also cited official data of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation, according to which for five years - from April 1, 2014 to April 2, 2019 - 925 thousand people from the south-eastern regions of Ukraine entered the territory of Russia. During this period, more than 334 thousand Ukrainians applied for the acquisition of Russian citizenship.

“In other words, with this initiative, Russia is responding to the despair of many thousands of people. We are not forcibly making them Russian citizens, but they themselves are striving for this. We only provide this opportunity and greatly facilitate this process, ”said Nebenzya.

Along with this, the diplomat expressed the hope that the new Ukrainian authorities would change the approach to resolving the situation in the Donbas.

“We seriously and sincerely hope that the new Ukrainian government will change not only the rhetoric of the previous government regarding the Donbass and its residents, a vivid illustration of which are hackneyed statements of the Foreign Ministry of Ukraine, but will take real steps to implement the Minsk agreements and take into account the interests of its citizens living in the South-East ", - he stressed.

Recall that on Wednesday, April 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on the definition for humanitarian purposes of categories of persons who can obtain Russian citizenship in a simplified manner. The initiative, in particular, affects residents of the self-proclaimed republics of the DPR and the LPR.

Later, the head of state stressed that this step was aimed at resolving the grave humanitarian situation in which residents of the south-east of Ukraine fell, deprived by Kiev of elementary human rights. The Russian leader also called it strange that Kiev expressed dissatisfaction with the actions of Moscow, although a number of other countries (Poland, Hungary, Romania) for many years granted citizenship to people living in Ukraine.

“As for provoking, we are far away, and I personally am far from provoking someone. The issue of passports is purely humanitarian in nature, ”Putin said.