Chairman of the Committee on International Affairs, MP Leonid Slutsky:
“The signing by the President of Russia Vladimir Putin of the Decree on the simplified citizenship of the Russian Federation for residents of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions is an absolutely justified measure. Especially against the background of the entry into force in Ukraine of the discriminatory law on language.
Statements by the current Ukrainian President Zelensky about the possibility of holding a referendum on the language issue remained at the level of election rhetoric, fears from the OSCE were simply concerns. Kiev only shocked his fingers, without any consequences.
In such conditions, the Russian-speaking residents of these areas should know that they have protection, there is a great state where they will be accepted and will not be persecuted just for what they think and speak Russian.”
