Volodymyr Zelensky, who has won the presidential election in Ukraine, has said Ukrainians are free people and they know the price of Russian passports well.

"Firstly, I would not advise the Russian authorities to waste their time trying to lure citizens of Ukraine with Russian passports. Probably there are some people who are still under the influence of propaganda. Maybe someone will do it for the sake of earnings or in an attempt to escape from criminal investigations. We can even provide Vladimir Putin with a list of citizens of Ukraine who will start feeling very uncomfortable in the country, which they cynically robbed, abusing their high posts, in the near future. Let Russia decide again where it needs such 'professionals' more, in Rostov or in Magadan," Zelensky said in his statement released by his press service following the statement made by Russian President Vladimir Putin about the idea of giving Russian citizenship to all citizens of Ukraine who want it, using simplified procedures.

Zelensky said that Ukraine has freedom of speech, free media and the Internet. "Therefore, we know perfectly well what a Russian passport actually means. This is the right to be arrested for a peaceful protest. This is the right not to have free and competitive elections. This is the right to forget about the existence of natural rights and freedoms. One should not count on Ukrainians as they will not want to become 'new oil,' into which the Russian authorities are trying to transform their own people," he said.

"The people of Ukraine are free people in a free country, independent, sovereign and indivisible, and Ukrainian citizenship is freedom, dignity and honor," Zelensky said.

"It's what we have defended and will defend. Ukraine will not give up its mission to serve as an example of democracy for the post-Soviet countries. And this mission will include the provision of protection, shelter and Ukrainian citizen ship to everyone who is ready to fight for freedom. We will provide shelter and assistance to everyone, everyone who is ready to fight side by side with us for our and your freedom," he said.

Zelensky also declared his readiness to grant citizenship of Ukraine to Russians who suffer from an authoritarian regime. "We will provide Ukrainian citizenship to representatives of all peoples who suffer from authoritarian and corrupt regimes. First of all, to Russians, who today suffer almost more than everyone," he said.