'A kind of trolling'. Why Zelenskyy needs decree on Ukrainian lands in Russia: Historian's view
Photo: President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy (Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
The decree on historically Ukrainian-populated territories in Russia signed today by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is a "kind of trolling," says Roman Kabachiy, a senior research fellow at the National Museum of the History of Ukraine in the Second World War.
Today, on January 22, the President of Ukraine signed a decree regarding the historically populated territories by Ukrainians within the Russian Federation.
However, Kabachiy stated that this is a "kind of trolling" because, in his words, amidst the war, the primary focus is to reclaim the territories and for people to feel like Ukrainians on their land within the borders of 1991.
"I am quite skeptical about it (the decree - ed.), because as a state, Ukraine has done nothing (in this direction - ed.) for 30 years. Moreover, it closed consulates in ethnic lands, for example, in Brest, Belarus. As for Ukrainians in Russia, they were always being abused, societies and libraries were closed, books were confiscated, and Ukraine had virtually no influence on this process," he said.
In his opinion, today, the President has decided to imply that Ukrainians exist in Russia, just before Unity Day.
"Physically, they may be on these lands, but they are no less intoxicated by propaganda than ethnic Russians... So there is unlikely to be a significant effect on them. We need to work with those Ukrainians who feel a connection to Ukraine, and these are Western diasporas so that our people do not dissolve. Ukrainian revival in Russia will only be possible when the Russian Federation collapses. Only in such case," added the historian.
For more details on Ukrainian ethnic territories in the Russian Federation and what President Zelenskyy's decree at the end of the second year of full-scale war might signify, refer to the material by RBC-Ukraine.
Dual citizenship in Ukraine
Regarding the content, President Zelenskyy announced today that he would submit to the Parliament a draft law on dual citizenship.
