Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed the law on simplifying procedures for granting citizenship to “Russian native speakers”. The law implies to those Russian native speakers’ obtaining citizenship who or whose ancestors have lived in Russian Empire, in the Soviet Union or nowadays Russia. Evidently, this is done for the people living in Eastern Ukraine (by Putin’s terminology, in “Malorussia”), who could be a Russian, Ukrainian or any other nationality (also, Armenian) and are “Russian native speakers.” This will allow the Russian government to massively turn people to Russian citizens, and to announce at any incident or even special provocation that a necessity incurred to protect the security of own citizens. How to forget that Austria, in 1938, which, naturally, consisted of “German native speakers,” was annexed to Germany, in fact, with full connivance of western powers.
However, Putin’s this initiative can be spread to other countries, including Armenia. For example, I, immodestly speaking, speak Russian better than most of the Russians, and thus I can be considered a “Russian native speaker.” Therefore, can I also receive Russian citizenship without unnecessary formalities? In my case, the problem is purely theoretical because I need no other citizenship but the citizenship of the Republic of Armenia. But, there are thousands of Russian school graduates in Armenia like me who may want to obtain Russian citizenship in the simplified procedure.
Moreover, it is possible that they would so focus their children and grandchildren on become “Russian native speakers,” and you will get the citizenship you need. The latter can also be a “backup option”, “fortunately” the dual citizenship norm is accepted in Armenia. It is evident why people want to get Russian citizenship, to be safe for going to this country, have job, and run more or less normal life. It is, of course, the fault of Armenia’s authorities that people do not see their future here. But, it is also the fault of my and people like me that over 20 years we have not awakened the citizen’s dignity in Armenians, and people are willing to go to any step to “flee” from here. To accuse Russia that this country is facilitating such steps is not fair. Each state has its own interests.
Aram ABRAHAMYAN
