Rejected Passports

From the BBC:

“Ukraine's president-elect rejects Russian passport plan”

Ukraine's president-elect has mocked Russia's offer to give passports to his countrymen, saying the document would provide "the right to be arrested". In a Facebook post rejecting the idea, Volodymyr Zelensky pledged to give citizenship to "suffering" Russians. Earlier this week, Russia's President Vladimir Putin signed a decree offering people in eastern Ukraine's separatist territories passports. He later said he was mulling extending the scheme to all Ukrainians. But Mr Zelensky - a former comedian with no political experience who was elected last Sunday - said he did not believe many of his countrymen would take up the offer."Ukrainians are free people in a free country," he said. Instead, he offered citizenship to "all people who suffer from authoritarian and corrupt regimes", but firstly "to the Russian people who suffer most of all". The Facebook post was written in both Ukrainian and Russian "so that everyone can hear us", Mr Zelensky said. Relations between the two countries were further strained this week when Ukraine's parliament passed a law making the use of the Ukrainian language mandatory for public sector workers. Russia says the move discriminates against Russian speakers in Ukraine - for many, particularly in eastern regions, Russian is still the first language.  The new tensions add to the challenges facing Mr Zelensky, who ousted Petro Poroshenko by a landslide.

What did Putin say?

On Wednesday, the Russian leader announced the passport scheme would be applied to Donetsk and Luhansk, the self-declared republics seized by Russian-backed separatists in 2014 after Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine. Crimea itself was incorporated into Russia, giving its inhabitants the same citizenship rights as those in Russia. Mr Putin said people living in Donetsk and Luhansk who considered themselves Russian were entitled to Russian passports. On Saturday, he said: "We're considering providing a simplified procedure [of obtaining Russian citizenship] to all the residents of Ukraine."

How did Ukraine respond?

Mr Zelensky said a Russian passport provides "the right to be arrested for a peaceful protest" and "the right not to have free and competitive elections." He also demanded a "complete de-occupation" of eastern Ukraine and Crimea stressing that his country "doesn't give up". Ukrainian politicians accuse Russia of trying to make its territorial divisions permanent. Thousands of people have died in Ukraine's eastern regions since 2014  But Mr Zelensky also struck a conciliatory tone, saying he was ready for negotiations on the armed conflict, that has claimed about 13,000 lives since 2014.  "I hope that Russia is more inclined to speak than to shoot," he wrote. Zelensky team plans Ukraine anti-corruption drive In the run-up to his election, he said he had wanted to "renew relations" with eastern Ukraine and start a "powerful information war to end the conflict". In response, Russia said it wanted him to show "sound judgement", "honesty" and "pragmatism" so that relations could improve. 

What is the new language law? 

Under the new law:

Ukrainian must be used for signs, letters and in adverts

Local TV channels are set a target of 90% Ukrainian content

Ukrainian should be used for all official duties of public servants ranging from the president to judges, doctors and bank workers

Mr Zelensky, whose own first language is Russian, defended the new legislation, which Mr Poroshenko had championed. However, he added that he intended to review it once he took office. 

^ It is a little funny that Putin wants to give Russian citizenship to their rebels fighting in Donbas. I guess after 5 years of supporting the rebels with weapons, money and soldiers and only creating a stalemate the least they can offer in Russian citizenship. Russian law allows for dual citizenship (Ukrainian law does not.) Even with fighting a 5 year war in Donbas and part of their territory (Crimea) annexed by Russia  Ukrainian citizens have visa-free access or visa-on-arrival to 128 countries/territories (including the Schengen Area of the European Union) while Russian citizens have visa-free access or visa-on-arrival to 118 countries/territories (but not to the Schengen Area of the European Union.) It seems the Ukraine is more stable than Russia is right now and so it wouldn’t make sense to switch citizenships or passports – unless you are a rebel fleeing from Ukraine to Russia because you lost. As for the Ukrainian Language law; Russia has a similar law that promotes the Russian Language inside of Russia. In Russian-annexed Crimea anyone who using the Crimean Tatar or Ukrainian Languages disappears because Russian Government in Moscow is trying to wipe out all Crimean Tatar and Ukrainian culture in annexed- Crimea and promote Russification. It only seems right that the Ukrainian Language should be the official language in Ukraine then same way the Russian Language is the official language of Russia. It does seem that Putin is desperately  trying to get more supporters with this latest move because current Russian citizens are starting to wake up from their Kool-Aid sleep and starting to question Putin and his actions within Russia and around the world. ^

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-48085505