Poroshenko opposes granting "holy Ukrainian citizenship" to Russians
Outgoing Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has spoken up against granting Ukrainian citizenship to the Russians.
"And we will not accept that someone will be granting the holy Ukrainian citizenship to the Russians now. As they will accept that [the Ukrainian citizenship], all of the 140 million. This is because it's better in our country. This is because Ukrainian citizenship is a high honor," Poroshenko said at a meeting with members of the scientific community at the Ukrainian Catholic University in Lviv on Monday.
The president also said that he will not allow anyone to buy [Ukraine] for gas." "As the most important thing is what they are now trying to suggest that the gas will be cheaper in Ukraine," Poroshenko said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier said that Russian citizenship would be granted in accordance with facilitated procedures not only to residents of Luhansk and Donetsk regions of Ukraine, but to all citizens of the country.
Ukrainian President-elect Volodymyr Zelensky in his turn 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. 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 also declared his readiness to grant Ukrainian citizenship to the Russians "We will provide Ukrainian citizenship to representatives of all peoples who suffer from authoritarian and corrupt regimes. First of all, to the Russians, who today suffer almost more than everyone," he said.