File:President's end-of-year press conference. (53410523574).jpg

We cannot afford to lose Ukrainians abroad, and multiple citizenship can help with this – Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy is convinced that the implementation of the idea of multiple citizenship can become one of the mechanisms to maintain a connection with the homeland for those Ukrainians who left the country after the start of the full-scale Russian invasion and have already begun to build their lives abroad. "I was talking about this even before the full-scale war started. It was in our program. There are indeed 60 million Ukrainians in the world, and not all of them have to live in Ukraine. They have their own stories, their own families, some were born in Canada, the United States, etc. But we need to give them the opportunity to support Ukraine, to feel like Ukrainians, to help, to open businesses here, to pay taxes. All this will definitely benefit Ukraine," the Head of State said at the end-of-year press conference. At the same time, Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted that the resolution of this issue should not be delayed.

"I would like our people abroad, especially women and children, to hear this. So that when they find a job and build a new life, they do not rush to renounce their Ukrainian citizenship. I think we cannot lose such people. And multiple citizenship partially solves this issue," he said. The President expressed his belief that most Ukrainians who were forced to flee abroad from the Russian war will return home when Ukraine's air defense system becomes even more powerful. In addition, European countries can review and optimize their refugee support programs over time.