94Ha Viewpoint
As the outside world is concerned about whether Russia and Ukraine will start peace talks, Russia announced on Wednesday (March 5) that the work of issuing Russian passports to Ukrainians living in Russian-controlled areas of Ukraine has been completed.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a meeting with Ministry of Internal Affairs officials that day: “Last year, the issuance of passports to residents of the Luhansk People’s Republic, the Donetsk People’s Republic, the Kherson Oblast and the Zaporizhia Oblast was basically completed.”
Despite not fully controlling the above four states, Moscow still announced in 2022 that they would be incorporated into the Russian Federation. Russian Interior Minister Kolokoltsev said that Russia has issued a total of 3.5 million passports to these regions.
Before launching an invasion war against Ukraine, Russia provided residents of parts of Luhansk and Donetsk in eastern Ukraine with a convenient citizenship application process; these areas are controlled by Ukrainian separatists supported by Moscow.
After the outbreak of the Russian-Ukrainian war, Russia pressured residents of Russian-controlled areas in eastern and southern Ukraine to become Russian citizens. Those who refused to do so may be restricted in their movements and access to public services such as health care and education. Ukrainians without Russian passports will also be classified as foreign citizens.
Ukraine previously criticized Russia’s practice as illegal and a serious violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty. Western governments and human rights organizations also condemned Russia for this. The European Union does not recognize these passports as legal travel documents.
