Vladimir Putin has signed a decree allowing the residents of the Transnistrian region to obtain Russian citizenship through a simplified procedure. The Russian leader enacted the law permitting this on May 15.
According to the document, foreign citizens and stateless persons who have reached the age of 18 and permanently reside in the Transnistrian region will be able to apply for Russian Federation citizenship, without meeting some conditions stipulated by the general legislation on citizenship, reports Moldpres. Additionally, the document also provides for the possibility of granting Russian citizenship to children left without parental care and to persons declared incapable, who permanently reside in the region. The decree stipulates that this measure is introduced “for the purpose of protecting human rights and freedoms”.
Chisinau has described the decision as a propagandistic one. According to realitatea.md, the Bureau of Reintegration Policies announced that the law passed in Russia cannot be applied in another state.
“The Russian passport becomes the passport of an aggressive country, which is not accepted at the civilized table. I believe that this decision from the Kremlin is to attract as many soldiers to the front as possible, considering that the recruitment rate has decreased recently”, declared Alexandru Munteanu, quoted by newsmaker.md.
In the meantime, the self-proclaimed leader from Tiraspol has portrayed Vladimir Putin as the savior of the Transnistrians who have lost their Moldovan citizenship or cannot obtain it. According to him, the Kremlin’s decision is a humanitarian one, and the constitutional administration would politicize the subject.