Today at 18:39
British intelligence has analyzed a decree issued by Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin, according to which “Ukrainian citizens illegally staying in Russia must leave by September 10 or be legalized.”
This was reported by the British Ministry of Defense in X,
British intelligence officials noted that on March 20, 2025, Putin signed a decree obliging Ukrainian citizens living in Russia or on Russian-occupied Ukrainian territory to “regularize their legal status by September 10, 2025, or leave the territory.”
The British argue that Putin’s decree “almost certainly aims to force the departure from Russian-occupied territory of Ukraine of Ukrainian citizens who refuse to accept Russian passports and citizenship.”
“Putin and Russia’s top leadership continue to pursue a policy of Russification in the illegally occupied Ukrainian territory, as part of a long-term effort to destroy Ukrainian culture, identity, and statehood,” the analysis said.
In this context, it is worth noting that US Special Envoy Steven Witkoff in a recent interview actually recognized the “referendums” that Russia held in the occupied territories in 2022.
And recently, US National Security Advisor Michael Volz suggested that a future agreement to end Russia’s war against Ukraine could include the loss of territory by the latter in exchange for “future security guarantees.”
