Vladimir Putin’s new threat after embarrassing retreat from key Ukrainian region

Vladimir Putin is said to be seeking power to strip passports from those who criticise the war in Ukraine.

Vladimir Putin wants to pass a new law to enable him to strip passports from non-birth citizens if they criticise the war in Ukraine, The Kyiv Independent reported.

The Ukrainian news site said the Russian President had proposed amendments to a bill that apparently targeted Ukrainians who were either forced or had no choice but to switch their nationality due to threats posed by Russian troops.

It linked to a Telegram message from Russian independent media outlet Meduza, which listed the changes.

“Spreading fake news” about the Russian Armed Forces, “desecration of the flag and coat of arms of Russia,” “participation in the activities of an undesirable organisation,” “calls for separatism,” and “encroachment on the life of a statesman and calls for extremism” were listed as reasons Russian citizenship could be revoked, according to an English translation.

It said the bill had only passed a first reading.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin is said to be amending a bill to allow him to strip people of their passports for criticising the Ukraine war. Picture: Mikhail Metzel/Sputnik/AFP

The revelation came after Mr Putin was dealt a fresh round of humiliation when his troops were forced to retreat from a key Ukrainian region amid the ongoing invasion.

On Saturday, Russia retreated from Kherson, one of four regions in Ukraine that Mr Putin claimed to have annexed in September.

EU won’t recognise Russian passports from occupied Ukraine

The European Union said last week it would not recognise Russian passports issued in regions of Ukraine annexed by Moscow.

The move – which also covers two Kremlin-controlled areas of Georgia – means Russian travel documents given to residents of those regions cannot be used to get visas or to enter the Schengen Area.

The Schengen Area is made up of 26 European countries that have common entry and exit requirements. It allows travellers to move freely between member countries without going through border controls or getting a visa for each country.

“This decision is a response to Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified military aggression against Ukraine and Russia’s practice of issuing Russian international passports to residents of the occupied regions,” the European Council said in a statement.

The move still needs to be formally signed off by the European Parliament and EU member states.

In September, Mr Putin laid claim to four regions of Ukraine in a unilateral declaration widely rejected by the international community. Moscow also annexed Ukraine’s Crimea peninsula in 2014.

The Kremlin’s grip over some of the occupied territory has been slipping in the face of a fightback by Kyiv’s forces.

On Thursday, Russia’s Defence Minister ordered troops to withdraw from the key city of Kherson in a major blow to Mr Putin’s attempted land grab in Ukraine.

– With AFP