The decree adopted by the Russian Federation on "certain categories of foreign citizens" and the procedure for acquiring Russian citizenship "grossly violates the legislation of Ukraine, international law and the rights of children – citizens of Ukraine who were forcibly transferred to the territory of the aggressor state during the invasion of Russia."
Source. This was stated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine.
"On January 4, 2024, the President of the Russian Federation signed a decree "On the definition of certain categories of foreign citizens and stateless persons who have the right to apply for citizenship of the Russian Federation". The document stipulates that orphans and children left without parental care who are citizens of Ukraine may obtain Russian citizenship by a personal decision of the President of the Russian Federation, without taking into account all or some requirements of federal law. An application for Russian citizenship can be submitted by the heads of Russian organizations that forcibly hold Ukrainian children," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement on its official website on Saturday.
The statement emphasized that "this new 'regulatory act', in addition to aiming to meet the demographic needs of the aggressor country at the expense of migrants, grossly violates the legislation of Ukraine, international law and the rights of children – citizens of Ukraine who were forcibly transferred to the territory of the aggressor state during the large-scale offensive of the Russian Federation."
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasizes that all Ukrainian children who were forcibly transferred to the territory of the Russian Federation under the false pretext of so-called "humanitarian protection" remain citizens of Ukraine. The Ukrainian authorities continue to take all possible measures to protect their legitimate rights and freedoms.
"The real value of this decree is that it will serve as yet another proof of Russia's crimes against Ukraine, the forced assimilation of Ukrainian children and attempts to deprive them of their own homeland," the statement said.
"We call on the International Criminal Court to take into account these actions of the Russian leadership to transfer Ukrainian children from one national group to another, including by forcibly granting them Russian citizenship, which is one of the signs of genocide, and on the international community to implement the arrest warrant issued by the ICC for Vladimir Putin as soon as possible, taking the necessary measures to detain him for transfer to the international justice system," the Foreign Ministry concluded.
Background. As reported, a free space was opened in Kyiv to support children affected by the war.