Ukraine’s president-elect has mocked Russia’s offer to give passports to his countrymen, saying the documents would provide “the right to be arrested”.
Volodymyr Zelensky pledged to give citizenship to “suffering” Russians, following Russian President Vladimir Putin signing a decree earlier in the week offering people in eastern Ukraine’s separatist territories passports.
Relations between the two countries were further strained last week when Ukraine’s parliament passed a law making the use of the Ukrainian language mandatory for public sector workers - a move which Russia labeled as discriminatory against Russian speakers in Ukraine.