Ukraine preparing new sanctions against Russia after Kremlin eased citizenship requirements for Donbas residents
The Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Pavlo Klimkin, speaking on the TV channel Inter, announced that Ukrainian diplomats are working on increasing international pressure on Russia because of Russia’s decision to issue passports to the residents of the territoriesof the Donbas which are not under Ukraine’s control, writes Hromadske.
"At the moment, Ukrainian diplomats are actively working on creating a new wave of political pressure on the Russian Federation, as well as preparing additional sectoral and economic Ukrainian sanctions against Russia," he said.
The Foreign Minister stressed that Ukraine will insist on the introduction of sectoral or economic international sanctions against Moscow, and not personal, as it was after the Russian aggression against Ukrainian sailors.
Klimkin suggested that the sanctions could affect "people and companies that form the basis of the Kremlin regime."
On April 24, 2019, Putin signed a decree allowing residents of certain regions of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions to obtain Russian citizenship in a simplified manner. This procedure exempts the residents of the areas of the Donbas, which are under the control of pro-Russian militants, from the requirements to pass compulsory exams and live in Russia for more than five years prior to applying for citizenship.
In connection with this decision, the UN Security Council called an emergency meeting regarding Ukraine. It may take place on Thursday, April 25.
Rumors that Russia after the second round of elections in Ukraine could introduce a simplified procedure for granting citizenship to LPR and DPR residents appeared in mid-April. According to the similar experience of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, this should relieve social tensions in the occupied territory by providing the possibility of free travel to Russia for work.
According to the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, despite the war in the Donbas and the annexation of the Crimea, there are about 3 million Ukrainian citizens in Russia. In December, the Russian Federation has passed the law that simplifies obtaining Russian citizenship for Ukrainians. In 2018, the Russian Federation granted citizenship to more than 83 thousand citizens of Ukraine.