FM Kuleba backs multiple citizenship for Ukrainians with certain conditions or limitations

Multiple citizenship should become an element of Ukraine's policy aimed at preserving and developing the global Ukrainian community, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said in a speech to the Ukrainian World Congress. At the same time, he noted that there cannot be dual citizenship with the aggressor state, reports news agency Ukrinform.

"It is absolutely necessary to preserve their connection with the Motherland. This is about the future of Ukraine and Ukrainianness. Therefore, one of the elements of the state policy aimed at the preservation and development of the global Ukrainian community should be multiple citizenship," said Ukraine's top diplomat.

Kuleba is convinced of the need to introduce multiple citizenships, as it is necessary to be guided "not by the fear of giving out foreign passports in Ukraine", but by the "power of the Ukrainian passport" in the country and the world.

According to him, the state should open the possibility for millions of Ukrainians abroad to keep their Ukrainian passport or get it, and also realize as a fact that after Ukraine's accession to the European Union, Ukrainian passports will have the same status as passports of neighboring EU countries.

The foreign minister added that this policy should be implemented sensibly and gradually, starting with friendly allied countries.

Any dual citizenship with the aggressor state or unfriendly countries should be prohibited, stressed Kuleba.

The Ukrainian Constitution specifies in Article 4 that the country has single citizenship.

In September 2021, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that he was in favor of dual citizenship, but now it is difficult to do so, because Russia is carrying out passportization in the temporarily occupied territories.

On December 1, 2021, Ukrainian MPs received a bill for consideration that would allow Ukrainian citizens to acquire citizenship of several states.

On December 20, the head of the Servant of the People faction stated that after the Verkhovna Rada adopts the draft law on multiple citizenship, the Cabinet of Ministers will negotiate separately with each country.

This bill is currently pending consideration.