On January 21, 2026, members of parliament submitted Bill No. 14390 to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine for consideration “Draft Law on Amendments to Article 130 of the Land Code of Ukraine Regarding the Prohibition on Foreigners Acquiring Agricultural Land Plots,” which proposes to restrict, for a period of fifteen years following the termination or repeal of martial law on the territory of Ukraine, the right to acquire agricultural land plots by persons who obtained Ukrainian citizenship through a simplified procedure in accordance with the Law of Ukraine “On Citizenship of Ukraine.”

According to the explanatory note to the bill, its main purpose is to protect Ukraine’s national interests, the country’s food security, and the rights of Ukrainian owners of agricultural land plots against the purchase of land by foreign citizens.

To justify the need for the bill, members of parliament note that on January 16, 2026, the Law of Ukraine “On Amendments to Certain Laws of Ukraine Regarding the Implementation of the Right to Acquire and Retain Ukrainian Citizenship” No. 4502-IX dated June 18, 2025, which introduces the concept of multiple citizenship and a simplified procedure for foreign nationals to acquire Ukrainian citizenship.

In accordance with Resolution No. 1412 of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine “On Approval of the List of States Whose Citizens (Subjects) Acquire Ukrainian Citizenship Through a Simplified Procedure” dated November 5, 2025, citizens of Canada, Germany, Poland, the United States, and the Czech Republic are currently eligible to use this procedure.

At the same time, according to the bill’s sponsors, this law contains legal conflicts and significant risks. One of these is access to the land market for foreign nationals who obtain simplified Ukrainian citizenship. Based on the text of the law, immediately after obtaining Ukrainian citizenship through the simplified procedure, a person will be able to purchase agricultural land, which could be quite risky, especially during wartime. Furthermore, this law opens the domestic land market to foreign capital for the purchase of agricultural land shares, while ordinary Ukrainian farmers earn significantly less than foreign citizens.

Thus, given the high risks associated with ensuring the territorial integrity of our state, the draft law proposes to restrict, for a period of fivefifteen years after the termination or repeal of martial law on the territory of Ukraine, to restrict the right to acquire agricultural land plots to individuals who obtained Ukrainian citizenship through a simplified procedure in accordance with the Law of Ukraine “On Citizenship of Ukraine.” This, in turn, as noted by members of parliament, will protect Ukrainian landowners from foreign capital in the domestic land market for the acquisition of agricultural land shares. Furthermore, the adoption of the bill will help safeguard Ukraine’s national interests and its food security.

Thus, as evident from the text of the bill, the initiative to introduce the proposed amendments to Article 130 of the Land Code of Ukraine arose as a response to the introduction of multiple citizenship in Ukraine and simplified procedures for its acquisition by citizens of certain countries. In this case, the legislature is attempting to reconcile two different public policies: liberalizing access to citizenship while simultaneously restricting access to a strategic resource—Ukrainian land.

In fact, this is not a ban on foreigners in the traditional sense, but rather a restriction on new Ukrainian citizens who obtained their passports through a simplified procedure. Legally, they are already citizens of Ukraine, but with limited property rights regarding agricultural land.

Potential benefits of the bill:

1. Protection of national security and territorial integrity

Agricultural land in Ukraine is not merely an economic asset but a strategic resource. During wartime and post-war reconstruction, it is crucial to minimize the risks of land concentration in the hands of individuals whose economic or political interests may conflict with national interests.

2. Restrictions on speculative foreign capital

There is a real risk that individuals with substantial capital could formally obtain Ukrainian citizenship to gain access to the land market. In turn, the draft law creates a barrier to rapid speculative transactions and reduces the appeal of “passport investment” specifically in the land sector.

3. Protection of Ukrainian Entrepreneurs

Farmers and agricultural producers clearly have fewer financial resources, especially during the war, compared to potential foreign investors. A temporary restriction could reduce price pressure in the land market and allow Ukrainian farmers to maintain their competitive positions.

4. Food security

Control over agricultural land is directly linked to ensuring the country’s food independence. The proposed restriction aims to preserve the state’s influence over a key resource on which the stability of the domestic food market and the country’s ability to independently meet the basic needs of its population depend.

Potential Drawbacks of the Bill

1. Signs of Discrimination Against Citizens

The main legal issue is the creation of two categories of Ukrainian citizens with different property rights. This may contradict the principle of equality of citizens before the law, enshrined in the Constitution of Ukraine. Restricting property rights for individuals who acquired Ukrainian citizenship through a simplified procedure without an individual risk assessment could be viewed as a disproportionate state interference in the property rights of such individuals.

2. Ukraine’s Investment Attractiveness

The changes proposed in the draft law could negatively impact Ukraine’s image as a country open to investment. Even if the restriction applies only to agricultural land, it sends a signal of potential instability in the rules of the game for new citizens and investors.

3. Risk of Circumvention Schemes

Practice shows that strict prohibitions often give rise to circumvention mechanisms—such as the use of straw persons, trust structures, and corporate schemes. This may not reduce risks but only complicate oversight.

Therefore, the need to adopt such a law directly depends on the state’s definition of its own priorities—specifically, whether to prioritize internal security and national interests or external economic openness.

Overall, the bill has clear political, social, and security motivations, especially in the context of war and the transformation of the institution of citizenship. Its strength lies in the preventive protection of the land market and national interests. At the same time, its weak point is legal vulnerability due to a possible violation of the principle of equality among citizens and potential economic consequences.

The initiative proposed by the members of parliament appears logical from the perspective of security and national interests, but requires further legal refinement, as it could create more legal problems than it does actual protective mechanisms. The greatest challenge is to find a formula that does not undermine constitutional principles while simultaneously protecting the state’s strategic resources.