Volodymyr Zelensky wants to open Ukrainian citizenship to foreign fighters

Becoming Ukrainian through arms. President Volodymyr Zelensky proposed, Monday January 22, to open Ukrainian nationality to foreign fighters without them having to give up their other citizenship. Ukraine does not currently allow dual nationality. Currently, any person applying for naturalization must therefore abandon their original citizenship in order to obtain Ukrainian nationality.

Volodymyr Zelensky assured on social networks that the reform must benefit “foreign fighters who came to defend Ukraine, those who fight for the freedom of Ukraine as if it were their homeland”. The text also goes “allow all ethnic Ukrainians and their descendants throughout the world to have our citizenship, except of course citizens of the aggressor state“, he said.

Thousands of foreigners have joined Ukraine since the start of the Russian invasion on February 24, 2022 to fight Russian forces there. Moscow describes them as mercenaries, and regarding the Westerners, sees this as proof of a proxy war being waged by NATO. Several units made up of Russians are also fighting on the Ukrainian side, denouncing the regime of Vladimir Putin.