Photo: depositphotos
Ethnic Ukrainians living in Moldova will now be able to obtain Ukrainian citizenship through a simplified procedure without having to renounce their Moldovan citizenship, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha announced.
According to Sybiha, the Ukrainian government, at the initiative of the Foreign Ministry, has expanded the list of countries whose ethnic Ukrainians are eligible for simplified citizenship under the updated Law on Citizenship of Ukraine.
Previously, the procedure was available to ethnic Ukrainians from EU member states, the United Kingdom, Canada, the United States, Norway, Switzerland, and Iceland. Moldova has now been added to that list.
Sybiha described the decision as a logical step given the close relationship between the two neighboring countries, which share a border and a common path toward European Union integration.
He also highlighted Moldova's support for Ukraine since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion, including assistance provided to Ukrainian citizens.
"There is a large and active Ukrainian community in Moldova. We are sincerely interested in ensuring that ethnic Ukrainians abroad have as many opportunities as possible to maintain ties with their homeland," Sybiha wrote on Facebook.
The minister added that the decision also responds to what Ukraine sees as Russia's attempts to destabilize Moldova through citizenship-related manipulation involving residents of the Transnistria region.
President Volodymyr Zelensky signed Ukraine's law on multiple citizenship on July 15, 2025.
Under the legislation, individuals who hold another country's passport but are also Ukrainian citizens are recognized solely as Ukrainian citizens while on Ukrainian territory. Applicants seeking Ukrainian citizenship must also pass examinations on the Ukrainian language and the country's history.
