The Ukrainian World Congress (UWC) welcomes President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s initiative to address multiple citizenship in Ukraine. The UWC has previously expressed concerns regarding previous draft laws submitted to Verkhovna Rada, in particular the recently submitted Draft Law #11469.
Over the last several years, UWC has advocated that Ukraine should allow for multiple citizenship. Such legislation would expand opportunities for Ukrainians abroad to fully engage in Ukraine’s political, economic, and community life. Given Russia’s full-scale invasion, this issue has become even more critical.
The 20-25 million Ukrainians living abroad represent a significant intellectual resource for the country’s development, recovery, and economic stability.
An effective framework for multiple citizenship is essential. It would encourage the global Ukrainian community to support Ukraine, optimize the use of global Ukrainian human capital, and significantly contribute to preserving Ukrainian identity.
For many years, the UWC has consistently advocated for:
- The liberalization of Ukrainian legislation on multiple citizenship based on global best practices.
- The implementation of efficient security safeguards against the aggressive influence of the Russian Federation and other states that threaten Ukraine’s sovereignty and safety.
- Equality of citizens before the law to avoid creating two different classes of Ukrainian citizens.
The UWC believes it is crucial that any legislation related to multiple citizenship includes input from representative stakeholders from the global Ukrainian community. The UWC is ready to contribute constructively to finalizing multiple citizenship legislation in cooperation with the President and Parliament of Ukraine.
