Photo courtesy of Reuters.
On January 22, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked overseas Ukrainians for their contributions to the fight against Russia's special operation, and proposed changing the constitution to allow people to hold dual citizenship.
Mr Zelensky said he had submitted a bill to parliament on dual citizenship, a symbolic move on National Unity Day, which commemorates the brief unification of eastern and western Ukraine into a single state in 1919.
Mr Zelensky also marked the day by issuing a decree protecting the rights and identities of some 4 million Ukrainians living in Russia – the largest group of Ukrainians living abroad.
The Ukrainian Constitution does not allow Ukrainians to have dual citizenship, so millions of people of Ukrainian origin living in other countries cannot hold Ukrainian passports.
“Today I submitted to the Verkhovna Rada an important draft law that would allow for comprehensive legislative amendments and allow people to have multiple citizenship,” Mr Zelensky said in a video .
“And this draft law will allow all ethnic Ukrainians and their descendants around the world to obtain Ukrainian citizenship. Of course, except for citizens of enemy states.”
In thanking his compatriots overseas for their support, including those who returned to fight for Ukraine, Mr. Zelensky affirmed that the phrase “I am Ukrainian” has special meaning, and praised “the indomitable spirit of our people.”
Constitutional changes need to be approved by parliament, a process that can take about a year and also requires approval by the Constitutional Court.
The presidential decree on ethnic Ukrainians in Russia calls for an action plan to protect their identities, document “crimes” committed against them and work to combat “disinformation” directed against them.
The decree lists areas in Russia believed to have been historically inhabited by Ukrainians, including areas along the two countries' border and areas near Krasnodar on the Black Sea coast.
Official figures show that up to 4 million people of Ukrainian origin – both permanent and temporary residents – live in Russia, making them the largest group of Ukrainians abroad.
Nguyen Quang Minh (according to Reuters)
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