Russian Passports to Help Donbas Residents Bypass Problems With Documents Abroad - Peskov
Donbas residents have problems with traveling abroad since many of them cannot renew their passports due to the region's conflict with the central Ukrainian authorities, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday, commenting on Russia's decision to simplify citizenship procedures for people living in Ukraine's easternmost region
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 30th April, 2019) Donbas residents have problems with traveling abroad since many of them cannot renew their passports due to the region's conflict with the central Ukrainian authorities, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday, commenting on Russia's decision to simplify citizenship procedures for people living in Ukraine's easternmost region.
Russian President Vladimir Putin approved last week a facilitated procedure for issuing Russian passports to residents of certain areas of the Luhansk and Donetsk people's republics in eastern Ukraine. A relevant presidential order said that residents of some districts of Donbas were entitled "to a fast-track procedure" when applying for Russian citizenship on humanitarian grounds.
"Well, [Donbas residents] travel not only to Russia. They face other problems, since many of them cannot renew their travel documents, cannot renew their passports while living in these republics. Yes, in Russia they can use these documents, but they are unable to do it elsewhere," Peskov said, asked why Moscow introduced a simplified procedure for acquiring Russian passports if it had already recognized the passports of Donbas residents.
Donbas, an area with a predominantly Russian-speaking population, has been engulfed in conflict since 2014, when the Ukrainian authorities unleashed a military operation in the region. Specifically, the offensive targeted the self-proclaimed republics of Donetsk and Luhansk, which refused to recognize the new government that had came to power after what they considered to be a coup.
A ceasefire deal was signed between the warring parties in 2015 in Minsk following talks brokered by the leaders of the so-called Normandy group, which comprises Russia, France, Germany and Ukraine. Despite this agreement, sporadic fighting continues in Donbas. To date, the situation remains tense, with both sides accusing each other of violating the ceasefire.