Russian Envoy to the
UN Vasily Nebenzya said that the decree "was directed at providing social
protection to those people who found themselves in very dire
circumstances".
UNITED NATIONS, April
26. /TASS/. The decision to simplify the procedure of applying for Russian
citizenship for Donbass residents is a humanitarian measure, Russian Envoy to
the UN Vasily Nebenzya told a UN Security Council session on Ukraine on
Thursday.
Nebenzya said that
the Ukrainian government does not give an opportunity to Donbass residents to
exercise their basic rights. "We had to offer them our assistance. In this
case, no one is taking away anything from anyone. On the contrary, we recognize
that we are taking a great economic and social responsibility by doing
this," he added.
"This is a
humanitarian measure, I ask you to understand this," he told UN Security
Council members. "Russia is interested in the prosperity of brotherly
Ukraine. In particular, the decree signed by the president [Putin] was directed
at providing social protection to those people who found themselves in very
dire circumstances," Nebenzya explained.
This decision
"has nothing to do with the Minsk Agreements and does not prevent Ukraine,
Donetsk and Lugansk from implementing those agreements," he said.
"I thank those
who presented reports today for the briefing but, sincerely speaking, I did not
understand what this briefing had to do with the issue that led us to this
session today upon the Ukrainian side's request, and what this issue has to do
with the Minsk Agreements," Nebenzya noted.
"We do not
interfere into internal affairs and do not engage in crawling annexation. We
only give people an opportunity to finally resolve their vital problems since
the Kiev authorities refuse to help them resolve those problems," the
diplomat continued.
He added that people
will decide themselves whether they should use this opportunity or not.
"In the end, hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians applied for Russian
citizenship even before this act," the diplomat noted.
"In other words,
Russia is responding to the desperation of many thousands of people with this
initiative," Nebenzya said. "We do not force them to become Russian
citizens, they want to do it themselves. We only provide this opportunity and
significantly ease the process," he added.
On April 24, Russian
President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree allowing the residents of several
regions of southeastern Ukraine to receive Russian citizenship in a simplified
manner. According to the document, the decision has been made "in order to
protect human rights and freedoms" based on universally accepted
international laws.
Source: ITAR-TASS
26-04-2019
