Former separatist commander: Putin's aide supports giving passports to inhabitants of separatist republics in Ukraine
Russian President Vladimir Putin's aide Vladislav Surkov promotes the idea of issuing Russian passports to the inhabitants of the separatist republics in eastern Ukraine, according to Alexander Khodakovsky, the former Security Minister of the so-called Donetsk People's Republic.
Khodakovsky said, "According to my information – and it is accurate information – most people in Russia are not concerned with the provision of Russian passports to residents of the DPR. And I know for sure that as mentioned Vladislav Surkov promotes this issue and that he unfortunately, faces a heavy bureaucracy in doing so".
At the same time, the pro-Russian separatist leader said that recently there has been hope for the realization of this idea.
"And now we have hope that the liberal layer will be slightly thinned out, and we will finally get Russian passports. It is very important to us. It would become a very strong incentive for us, a tide of hope. Having a Russian passport is almost the ultimate dream for any citizen of Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics,” Khodakovsky said.
Khodakovsky referred to sociological studies according to which 71 percent of the inhabitants of the so-called DPR expressed their desire to obtain Russian passports.