President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy instructs the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to elaborate a mechanism for granting Ukrainian citizenship as the second to ethnic Ukrainian from friendly countries who seek to join the process of development of their historic homeland. Furthermore, the mechanism for granting Ukrainian citizenship under a simplified procedure to people who suffer from violations of rights and freedoms in their countries must be elaborated.

The decision was made by the President in connection with the continuation of the arrest of 24 Ukrainian sailors, as well as the signing of a decree by President of the Russian Federation on providing expedited Russian citizenship for Ukrainians.

At the same time, the Presidential Office declares that this decree is aimed at Ukrainian citizens who are forced to live in temporarily occupied territories. This step puts additional obstacles on the path of de-escalation of the conflict and reintegration of Donbas, the commitment to which Russia’s leadership has declared repeatedly.