Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Monday, the 22nd of January, thanked Ukrainians abroad for their support during the Russian invasion by proposing a constitutional amendment to allow dual citizenship, as the Ukrainian constitution currently does not grant Ukrainian citizens the right to dual citizenship, thus preventing millions of Ukrainians living abroad from obtaining a Ukrainian passport, reports Reuters.
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy submitted the comprehensive draft legislative amendment to the Verkhovna Rada on the symbolic Ukrainian Unity Day, commemorating the 1919 unification of eastern and western Ukraine.
“It will allow all ethnic Ukrainians and their successors from all over the world to acquire our citizenship.
Except, of course, citizens of the aggressor state [Russia],” said Zelenskiy.
Zelenskiy has often stressed the need for unity as Russia’s war in Ukraine drags on, with Kiyv heavily dependent on foreign military and financial aid.
Expressing his gratitude to the diaspora, especially those who have been involved in the fight for Ukraine, President Zelenskiy said that the phrase “I am a Ukrainian” has symbolic meaning and praised the resilience of the Ukrainian people.
Proposing changes to the constitution requires parliamentary approval, a process that can take around a year, and the authorisation of the Constitutional Court, according to Reuters.
Also read: Russian officials say 27 people killed in Ukrainian attack on Donetsk
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