Talk:Kateryna Yushchenko-Chumachenko

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[edit] UA citizneship

The article states: "On March 31, 2005, Kateryna Yushchenko was announced to have become a naturalized Ukrainian citizen."

First of all, we need a source to this claim. Second, by the UA law this could only be done if she officially renounced her US citizenship before the US consular officer, like was done by Roman Zvarych. This should have happened. Please add the info and sources. --Irpen 04:54, 16 December 2006 (UTC)

Actually, I don't agree with Irpen's interpretation of Ukrainian law. My understanding is that the President of Ukraine may grant citizenship regardless of anything else. I think, the same applies to the U.S. President who may grant citizenship without the long naturalization process, as it otherwise prescribed by law.

Here is the link ([1] or [2]) which says "She made Ukraine her home in 1991 and became of citizen of Ukraine in 2005". It doesn't explain which way she got the citizenship. If I remember correctly, she applied for the citizenship years before the presidential elections, but the decision was delayed.

In most of the sources she is named as Yushchenko, not as Yushchenko-Chumachenko. I propose to rename this article accordingly. --KPbIC 06:53, 16 December 2006 (UTC)

Ukrainian law expressely requires the foreign nationals to renounce their foreign citizenship before the Ukrainian citizenship may be granted. In US such requirment is less expressed and is not enforced but in Ukraine it is. I read Zvarych saying how he had to renounce his US citizenship to get a Ukrainian one (to run for Parliament). This does not mean that Ukrainians cannot be dual citizens but they can only do so legally if the Ukrainian is the first one. A caveat, conventions allow the countries to withdraw their citizenship from individuals who took the second citizenship but in reality Ukraine does not do that. As such, many people have Ukrainian and other citizenship but Ukraine does require renouncing before granting its own citizenship. I am pretty sure Chumachenko cannot be a US citizen now. I will try to locate some info. --Irpen 06:59, 16 December 2006 (UTC)

I think, she got her Ukrainian citizenship following the usual process, and I think she gave-up her American citizenship. As a wife of the President of Ukraine she naturally had to do it. I think she would do it even if it was not required. This is rather the issue of political etiquette.

Ukrianians may have dual citizenship only in exceptional cases, like a child born in the U.S. to Ukrainian parents. If a Ukrainian voluntary obtains a second citizenship, for example, by applying for it, then by Ukrainian law he loses Ukrainian citizenship. In reality, the law is not enforced. But it does not mean that the person is legally a dual citizen. Anyway, it's not related to the main question. --KPbIC 07:23, 16 December 2006 (UTC)