Summary
On April 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered that passports be made available to people in the areas of Ukraine's eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions controlled by pro-Russia separatists.
It is actually part of a long-term strategy to consolidate control over eastern Ukraine -- and, judging by Russia's announcement that it is considering creating a "simplified citizenship procedure" for all Ukrainians, potentially beyond.
Russia has long used citizenship and passports to enlarge its reach.
After Russia's 2002 citizenship law made it easier for any citizen of the former Soviet Union to acquire Russian citizenship, the Kremlin launched a campaign to hand out Russian passports in Georgia's Abkhazia and South Ossetia regions.
The Russian consulate in Simferopol aggressively issued Russian passports in Crimea in the years leading up to the 2014 annexation of the peninsula.
For many people, it means social and economic benefits: A Russian passport makes it easier and less expensive to travel to Russia, where, as citizens, they can take advantage of services like free education and health care, family support schemes (including mortgage relief and cash payments for large families), and civilian and military pensions.
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