Recean Warns Moldovans against Obtaining Russian Citizenship: Recruiting Cannon Fodder

Prime Minister Dorin Recean said that the simplification of the procedure of obtaining Russian citizenship for Moldovan citizens should not be misleading. In Recean’s opinion, the Russian Federation needs new recruits to wage war in Ukraine. He urged Moldovan citizens not to obtain Russian citizenship, as it entails the risks of being mobilized into the army and going to war in Ukraine. “This is another attempt to recruit cannon fodder for the Kremlin’s war against Ukraine. I would like to warn and ask Moldovan citizens not to follow these so-called simplified procedures,” Recean said. He noted that many Moldovan citizens remain in Russia, although their number decreased after the war started. Some citizens returned to Moldova or left for other countries, but now, according to the head of the government, between 150,000 and 200,000 of our fellow citizens remain in Russia. President Vladimir Putin simplified obtaining Russia’s citizenship for residents of Moldova, Belarus and Kazakhstan. Citizens of the three countries are no longer required to reside in Russia for five years before applying for citizenship, or to pass exams on knowledge of the country’s history and laws.