12.06.2018, Moscow.
70% of the Russian citizens expressed a positive opinion regarding Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decision to simplify the procedure for granting Russian passports to citizens of the Lugansk People Republic (LPR) and the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), according to a survey by Levada Center published on June 11.
22% of the respondents disapprove of the initiative. 77% agreed that the decision was based on the desire of the Russian leadership to help people who are living in war.
Also, according to the survey, 36% of the citizens believe that granting Russian passports to Donbass residents will result in additional costs to the Russian budget, and another 26% expect it to further escalate already tense relations between Russia and Ukraine. 22% of respondents disagree with the latter, because they believe that this decision will improve the relations between Russia and Ukraine.
29% (vs. 37% in March 2017) want to see Donbass as an independent state, while 27% (vs. 21% in 2017) want it to become part of the Russian Federation.
On April 24, the Russian president signed a decree to simplify the procedure for granting Russian citizenship to the residents of Donbass. At a press conference three days later Putin said that the simplified procedure will apply to all Ukrainians.
On June 7 the Donetsk News Agency reported that the Migration Service of the DPR Ministry of Internal Affairs would increase its staff because the existing personnel could not deal with the wave of applications for Russian passports.
Source: Rossa Primavera News Agency
