russia views its passport serving as a tool for expansion

russia considers its passport and citizenship proliferation to be tool for expansion. This perspective is evident in russian legislation dating back to 1992.

Olha Lototska-Kolesnichenko, a member of the Ukraine 5 AM Coalition, highlighted this during the presentation of an analytical report on the imposition of russian citizenship on Ukrainians in occupied Ukrainian territories and russia at the Media Center Ukraine – Ukrinform.

“Our research indicates that since 1992, particularly under the current russian president’s tenure, russia has regarded its passport and citizenship not only conventionally but also as instruments for expansion. russian legislation reflects this, with a clear interest in imposing citizenship on residents of post-Soviet countries, particularly those it considers within its sphere of influence such as Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, and Kazakhstan. Additionally, russian legislation outlines mechanisms for extending citizenship to states or regions that may join the russian federation,” she explained.

The documentarian noted that russia’s passportization efforts preceded all military conflicts it initiated in post-Soviet states, including Moldova and Georgia, especially in regions it aimed to separate.

“We’ve also uncovered media reports of passportization efforts in Crimea during the 1990s, where individuals were offered inserts in their Ukrainian passports indicating russian citizenship,” Lototska-Kolesnichenko added.

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