Ukraine affirms continued citizenship for residents amid renunciation appeal

The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has stated that, despite an application filed with the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs to renounce Ukrainian citizenship, Ukraine will continue to recognize and uphold the status of Ukrainian citizenship for those involved in the matter. This declaration comes directly from the Ukrainian diplomatic service, which emphasized that the current rules governing who holds Ukrainian citizenship remain in force and will be applied consistently across all affected populations. The ministry’s message underscores the central principle that citizenship is a legal status defined by Ukrainian law, and that the formal act of renunciation has not altered the fundamental citizenship obligations or rights of individuals who have otherwise not completed any required naturalization procedures. In practice, this means that individuals who hold Ukrainian citizenship by birth or other qualifying criteria retain that status unless they voluntarily go through the proper naturalization or renunciation processes laid out by Ukrainian legislation. — attributed to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine.