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The Russian Federation Council unanimously approved four federal constitutional laws on the admission of the so-called Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics, as well as the Zaporizhia and Kherson regions to Russia, at a plenary session on Tuesday.
According to the laws, the residents of the four regions from the day they were admitted to Russia - September 30 - are recognized as Russian citizens, and they are given a period of one month to submit a request for renunciation of Russian citizenship.
At the same time, it is specified that the acquisition of citizenship is possible by submitting an application and taking the oath of a citizen of the Russian Federation. The senators gave a standing ovation for the adoption of the law.
The President of the Federation Council, Valentina Matvienko, congratulated all residents of Donbas and Kherson and Zaporizhia, as well as all Russians "on this historic event". She also added that the Federation Council is looking forward to the senators from the new territories.
Federal constitutional laws enter into force from the date of entry into force of the treaty on the admission of new regions to the Russian Federation. According to the documents, DNR and LNR will retain their previous names within Russia, and Russian will be the official language.
Zaporizhia and Kherson become, it is stated, part of the region as separate entities and remain regions.
The Russians have finally figured out the new borders
The borders of the republics and regions will be determined by the borders that "existed on the day of their formation and acceptance into the Russian Federation".
It is also stated that, in accordance with international agreements, the borders that touch a foreign country will be the state border of the Russian Federation. It is also stated that, as stated in the constitutional laws, DNR and LNR will be part of the Russian Federation within the borders of 2014, determined by their constitutions.
Russia announced the annexation of four Ukrainian regions on Friday, but the Kremlin admitted at the time that they still have no idea where the new Russian borders are. From the law approved by the Russian Federation Council, it seems that Russia considers as its territory the part it controlled in Kherson and Zaporizhia on the day of annexation, and Luhansk and Donetsk as the full territory, although the entire territory of these regions are not under Russian control.
