Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has signed the law on multiple citizenship, recently adopted by the Verkhovna Rada. The law allows Ukrainian citizens to hold passports of two or more countries under certain conditions, BBC reports, News.bg reports.
“Thanks to multiple citizenship, we will be able to build more real legal foundations for the unity of our great people, millions of Ukrainians on all continents, as well as representatives of other nations who have linked their fate with Ukraine“, Zelensky said on social networks.
The new legislation allows for multiple citizenship in strictly defined cases, for example, when a child receives foreign citizenship by birth or through adoption by foreigners, as well as in the automatic acquisition of a second citizenship as a result of marriage or simplified naturalization.
A special list of countries whose citizens will have the right to dual citizenship with Ukraine will be drawn up. In turn, citizens of these countries will be able to acquire Ukrainian citizenship through a simplified procedure.
The law explicitly excludes Russia, neither Ukrainians with Russian passports nor Russians will be able to benefit from the new rules. The restriction also applies to citizens of countries that do not recognize the territorial integrity of Ukraine and voted against the UN General Assembly resolution of March 27, 2014, condemning the annexation of Crimea.