Vladimir Putin said that he is studying the granting of Russian citizenship to all Ukrainians

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Saturday that Moscow "plans" to simplify the process of obtaining the Russian citizenship for all Ukrainians, after the Kremlin adopted a similar measure for eastern separatist citizens of the country.

"We plan to grant citizenship, through a streamlined process, to all citizens of Ukraine, not just to the residents of the country. Republics of Lugansk and DonetskPutin told reporters during a visit to Beijing, referring to separatist areas backed by the Kremlin.

According to the decree signed on Wednesday by the Russian president, the country's permanent residents self-proclaimed and separatist republics of Donetsk and Luganskthey have the right to obtain Russian citizenship "within a period not exceeding three months" from the day of submission of the petition.

The decision came a few days after Ukraine chose the actor Volodimir Zelenski as president. The comedian, who will be inaugurated in early June, urged to approve more international sanctions against Russia in response.

The United States and the European Union also criticized the measure, claiming that it constituted a attack against the sovereignty of Ukraine.

Kiev believes that this can serve as a excuse for a future Russian military intervention in this region or when the clashes lead to conflicts similar to those of the Georgian separatist regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia or Moldavian Transnistria, in which Russia has unilaterally ceded its nationality to local separatists .

The conflict between the Ukrainian government and the rebels has begun after Moscow annexed the Ukrainian Peninsula of Crimea in 2014. Since then, the war has claimed 13,000 lives.