CHISINAU (Reuters) – Moldova could revoke the citizenship of its nationals who hold dual Russian nationality and go to fight in Ukraine, Moldovan President Maia Sandu said on Monday.
Vladimir Putin issued a “partial” mobilization decree last week to bolster his troops in Ukraine and the first Russian reservists began arriving at military bases on Monday.
200,000 people with dual Moldovan and Russian nationality live in the separatist region of Transnistria and risk being called by Moscow to fight, said Maia Sandu.
“To prevent this from happening, we are analyzing the possibility of applying the process of revoking Moldovan citizenship for people (with Russian passports) who fight alongside the aggressor,” she added.
Maia Sandu also said she was studying the possibility of tightening sanctions against Moldovan citizens who fight alongside Russian troops.
She added that Moldova was in discussion with Moscow to avoid its citizens being called out.
Russian peacekeeping troops have been stationed in Transnistria since the Moldovan region seceded in 1990.
(Report Alexander Tanas, Written by Tom Balmforth, French version Alizée Degorce, edited by Kate Entringer)
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