Expert explains why Russia is giving away passports in Donbas


On April 24, the Kremlin made it easier to obtain Russian passports for residents of the LNR and DNR. Political analyst Oleg Saakyan has told Belsat why Putin decided to do this right now.

Mr Saakyan is cofident that one of the triggers of the Kremlin’s decision was the election of a new president by Ukraine.

“Zelenskiy has a tremendous image both in Russia and in the occupied territories.” Accordingly, old cliche terms of “punishers” and “junta” will not stuck to him, which gives credibility to him and his image of a country reformer,” Saakyan says.

According to the expert, Russia is acting pre-emptively here. By distributing passports, it pre-empts Zelenskiy’s realization of his promise to develop mechanisms for Donbas residents to receive Ukrainian pensions.

“Russia cannot provide the Donbas residents with “bread” in sufficient quantity, therefore, it provides them with passports as “games”. It plays the role of a business card of this large “Russian world” and its involvement in it,” the expert continues.

Earlier, Russia was promoting ‘fabulous Russia’ on TV in the occupied territories, and now, with the help of a passport, it creates a link between the Russia in the TV and the terrible reality, Saakyan adds.

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