Vladimir Putin has signed a\u00a0presidential decree opening a\u00a0simplified path to\u00a0Russian citizenship for residents of\u00a0Transnistria, the breakaway republic within Moldova\u2019s internationally recognized borders.<\/p>\n
Foreign nationals and stateless persons aged 18 or\u00a0older who were permanently residing in\u00a0Transnistria on\u00a0the date the decree took effect are eligible to\u00a0apply under the simplified procedure.<\/p>\n
The decree states that the decision was made to\u00a0protect the \u201crights and freedoms of\u00a0individuals and citizens, in\u00a0accordance with universally recognized principles and norms of\u00a0international law.\u201d<\/p>\n
Under the decree, Transnistria residents may apply for Russian citizenship without meeting the requirements set out in\u00a0the first three provisions of\u00a0part one of\u00a0Article 15 of\u00a0the federal law on\u00a0Russian citizenship \u2014 provisions that ordinarily require an\u00a0applicant to\u00a0have resided permanently in\u00a0Russia for five years from the date a\u00a0residence permit is\u00a0issued, and to\u00a0demonstrate proficiency in\u00a0Russian along with knowledge of\u00a0Russian history and the fundamentals of\u00a0Russian law.<\/p>\n
Residents of\u00a0Transnistria will be\u00a0able to\u00a0submit their citizenship applications through Russian diplomatic missions and consular offices.<\/p>\n
Transnistria is\u00a0a\u00a0self-proclaimed republic in\u00a0northeastern Moldova. It\u00a0was proclaimed in\u00a01990 as\u00a0the Transnistrian Moldavian SSR with its capital in\u00a0Tiraspol (recognized neither by\u00a0Chisinau nor by\u00a0Moscow). After the dissolution of\u00a0the USSR, the unrecognized state continued to\u00a0exist as\u00a0the Transnistrian Moldavian Republic. Transnistria\u2019s independence is\u00a0recognized only by\u00a0the partially recognized states of\u00a0South Ossetia and Abkhazia. <\/p>\n
Transnistria is\u00a0home to\u00a01,500 Russian peacekeepers. Most of\u00a0them are local residents \u2014 natives of\u00a0Moldova holding Russian passports, hired under contract. Moldovan authorities have repeatedly called for the withdrawal of\u00a0Russian peacekeepers. This position is\u00a0supported, in\u00a0particular, by\u00a0the country\u2019s current president, Maia Sandu. She has said that resolving the Transnistrian problem requires the withdrawal of\u00a0Russian forces from the region \u201cby\u00a0peaceful means,\u201d followed by\u00a0the \u201cgradual reintegration\u201d of\u00a0Transnistria. <\/p>\n
At\u00a0Meduza, we\u00a0are committed to\u00a0transparency about our use of\u00a0artificial intelligence in\u00a0the newsroom. The story you\u2019re reading was written by\u00a0one of\u00a0our living, breathing journalists and translated from Russian using an\u00a0AI\u00a0model configured to\u00a0follow our strict editorial standards. This translation process is\u00a0the result of\u00a0extensive testing and refinements to\u00a0ensure our English-language coverage is\u00a0timely and accurate. A\u00a0Meduza editor reviews every draft before publication.<\/p>\n
If\u00a0you find any errors in\u00a0this translation, please contact us\u00a0at\u00a0[email\u00a0protected]<\/a>.<\/p>\n