President Volodymyr Zelensky reacted to Russia's decision to simplify the procedure for obtaining Russian citizenship for residents of the unrecognized Transnistria region and instructed Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs to engage with Moldova on joint actions.
According to Ukrinform, Zelensky stated this in his evening address.
"Today, I spoke with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Andrii Sybiha, about the situation surrounding Transnistria. Just recently, Russia took another step regarding Transnistria – the Russians simplified access to citizenship for people originating from this region of Moldova. It is a very telling move. It means not only that Russia is looking for new soldiers in this way – because citizenship also entails military obligation – it is also Russia's way of staking a claim to Transnistria's territory. Those in Moscow often tell various interlocutors that supposedly only Donbas interests them. In reality, far more than Donbas is at stake. We must respond to this. All the more so as the presence of the Russian military contingent and special services in Transnistria also poses a challenge for us. We are interested in a stable and strong Moldova," Zelensky said.
