Volodymyr Kogutyak, UWC Vice President for Western Europe, emphasized that multiple citizenship is a significant initiative in Ukraine’s path to the European Union, as reported by Sestry media.
“We will be creating one large European country, a European family, and, in principle, there should be no questions about citizenship among us,” says Kogutyak.
Kogutyak emphasizes the significance of the global Ukrainian community in having the chance to renew or forge connections with their ancestral homeland. Yet, the UWC Vice President highlights a particular concern that needs attention – the issue of citizenship for foreign volunteers.
“There are many people who are not Ukrainians, who came to Ukraine to fight and who may want to stay in Ukraine after the victory. I am now thinking, for example, about some French people who will definitely want this. And it would be quite beneficial to allow them to live in Ukraine and have Ukrainian citizenship. After they have proven themselves on the battlefield, they fully deserve it. That’s the first thing.
Secondly, I am thinking now about people like Ivan Pasternak, who is the president of the Association of Ukrainians in France and was born in France. His grandparents came from Ukraine in the 1920s. This person learned the Ukrainian language only when he was thirty years old and today leads the association representing the Ukrainian community in France. If one day Ivan Pasternak wanted to return to Ukraine, live there, and have Ukrainian citizenship, I think it would also be useful to give him such an opportunity,” adds Kogutyak.
Kogutyak also emphasized that the Ukrainian World Congress has been working very diligently recently to initiate the introduction of multiple citizenship in Ukraine.
Earlier, UWC President Paul Grod said that multiple citizenship will encourage the global Ukrainian community to assist Ukraine in post-war recovery and reconstruction.
Cover: Volodymyr Kogutyak on Facebook
