The State Duma of the russian federation introduced a bill on the recognition of compatriots of all those who speak the russian language. It is also proposed to clarify the list of peoples historically living in russia.
According to the russian news agency TASS, the bill was introduced by the first deputy chairman of the State Duma Committee on CIS Affairs, Eurasian Integration and Relations with Compatriots Konstantin Zatulin of Putin's “United russia” party. The document was posted in the Duma's electronic database on Monday, March 28.
According to the explanatory documents, the bill eliminates the shortcomings of the unjustifiably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". In particular, it is offered to define those persons as compatriots who “speak the russian language <...> and belong to those peoples that historically live on the territory of the russia” and “whose direct ancestors were born or lived in the territory of the russian federation”.
"It takes into account that over the past 30 years since the collapse of the Soviet Union, a new generation of compatriots who did not have Soviet citizenship has grown up” – it is mentioned in the accompanying materials.
The bill also proposes to clarify the list of peoples historically living in the russia. In particular, the list includes representatives of the Belarusian and Ukrainian peoples, representatives of indigenous peoples.
Earlier, in January 2018, Zatulin proposed to abandon the recognition of borders with Ukraine, denouncing the Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Partnership between the russia and Ukraine in the part where countries recognize each other's territorial borders. According to the Duma deputy, the agreement is "unilaterally beneficial" to Ukraine.
According to the President Volodymyr Zelensky, the russia is now doing everything possible to ensure de-russification in Ukraine. Mr. Zelensky stressed that there has never been a language problem in Ukraine, and the occupiers are doing everything to ensure that our people avoid the russian language by themselves. Because the russian language will be associated with explosions and killings.
Mr. Zelensky noted that after the russia launched a new military invasion of Ukraine, the russian language would disappear forever from the daily lives of citizens.