Vladimir Putin has signed a presidential decree opening a simplified path to Russian citizenship for residents of Transnistria, the breakaway republic within Moldova’s internationally recognized borders.

Foreign nationals and stateless persons aged 18 or older who were permanently residing in Transnistria on the date the decree took effect are eligible to apply under the simplified procedure.

The decree states that the decision was made to protect the “rights and freedoms of individuals and citizens, in accordance with universally recognized principles and norms of international law.”

Under the decree, Transnistria residents may apply for Russian citizenship without meeting the requirements set out in the first three provisions of part one of Article 15 of the federal law on Russian citizenship — provisions that ordinarily require an applicant to have resided permanently in Russia for five years from the date a residence permit is issued, and to demonstrate proficiency in Russian along with knowledge of Russian history and the fundamentals of Russian law.

Residents of Transnistria will be able to submit their citizenship applications through Russian diplomatic missions and consular offices.

Transnistria is a self-proclaimed republic in northeastern Moldova. It was proclaimed in 1990 as the Transnistrian Moldavian SSR with its capital in Tiraspol (recognized neither by Chisinau nor by Moscow). After the dissolution of the USSR, the unrecognized state continued to exist as the Transnistrian Moldavian Republic. Transnistria’s independence is recognized only by the partially recognized states of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

Transnistria is home to 1,500 Russian peacekeepers. Most of them are local residents — natives of Moldova holding Russian passports, hired under contract. Moldovan authorities have repeatedly called for the withdrawal of Russian peacekeepers. This position is supported, in particular, by the country’s current president, Maia Sandu. She has said that resolving the Transnistrian problem requires the withdrawal of Russian forces from the region “by peaceful means,” followed by the “gradual reintegration” of Transnistria.