Vladimir Putin has launched his first challenge to the new Ukrainian President: to promote the granting of Russian nationality to the separatists

Residents of the separatist regions of eastern Ukraine will be able to obtain Russian nationality more easily, thanks to the decree of this Wednesday the head of the Russian state, Vladimir Putin, just days of the election of the new Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelenski.

According to the decree published on the Kremlin website, a A simplified procedure will provide a Russian pbadport for residents of the Ukrainian regions of Donetsk and Lugansk.

In the eastern regions of Ukraine A war between pro-Russian separatists and Ukrainian forces killed 13,000 people in five years.

But the decree only applies to "certain parts" of these regions, it is explained without giving more details.

However, according to observers, there is no doubt that this measure benefits the inhabitants of the self-proclaimed Donetsk Republics (DNR) and Lugansk (LNR), which are beyond the control of Ukraine.

Putin signed this decree a few days after the election in Ukraine of the new president Volodimir Zelenskiwho promised to "reactivate" the peace process in the east of the country.

In response, Zelenski called on Western countries to tighten sanctions against Moscow.

Ukraine takes for granted "the heightened diplomatic pressure and sanctions against Russia ", Said Zelenski's team in a statement.

With this decree, "the Russian Federation has recognized its responsibility as the occupying state"He added, referring to the decree of Russian President Vladimir Putin, signed on Wednesday.

USA: "absurd" and "destabilizing"

The outgoing President of Ukraine, Petro Poroshenko also criticized the decision, calling it "unprecedented interference of Russia". in the internal affairs of an independent state ".

"It is an attempt to justify and legitimize Russia's military presence in the occupied part of the Ukrainian Donbbad"Poroshenko said in a video, referring to the separatist areas supported by the Kremlin.

The conflict between the Ukrainian government and separatist rebels began after Moscow annexed the Crimean peninsula in Kiev in 2014.

Kiev and its Western supporters accuse Russia of channeling troops and weapons across the border to stir up the conflict, accusations that Moscow denies.

The United States Embbady in Kiev also He condemned on Wednesday "the recent absurd and destabilizing decree of Russia" in a tweet.

Zelenski, whose only previous political experience was Playing the role of president in a television show, won Sunday's vote with a landslide victory.

He then said that he wanted "renew relations" with the people of eastern Ukraine, that they "are also Ukrainians".

The actor had already announced plans to launch a "powerful war of information to end the conflict".

The inhabitants of eastern Ukraine mainly have access to Russian TV channels.

In the countryside, Zelenski, who speaks Russian, criticized some of Moscow's policies against Moscow, while stating that he would keep Ukraine on the pro-Western path.

He also maintained that no would use force to recover the Crimea.

"The elected president is put to the test"Ukrainian MP Sergiy Vysotsky wrote on Facebook.