Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov addresses the Duma, October 3, 2022 – BFMTV
New stage in the annexation of Ukrainian territories to Russia. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov announced before the Duma on Monday that residents of the four affected regions of Lugansk, Donetsk, Zaporiya and Kherson would benefit from an “automatic right to Russian citizenship.”
“People living in these areas automatically have the right to obtain Russian citizenship with all the rights that come with it,” he said.
“The residents of the Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhia and Kherson regions will now be part of our common people,” he said.
The exact boundary of these areas is still uncertain, while the Kremlin spokesman assured that a consultation with residents of these regions on the matter is planned.
Annexation referendums questioned
Russian MPs ratified the law to annex the affected regions on Monday after Vladimir Putin approved the decision at a ceremony last Friday. The incorporation of these regions was the subject of referendums, the reliability of which was questioned by many experts and considered a foregone conclusion.
The EU, the United States and other countries such as Turkey have also opposed the annexation of these new territories, and Kyiv has said it will appeal to the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
Russia announced in late September easing access to its citizenship for foreigners enlisting in its army amid a period of partial mobilization.
Original article published on BFMTV.com