US ‘Forced Citizenship’ on Diplomatic Children, Moscow’s Stern Rejection

Moscow. Russia has made it clear that it does not recognise the “forced” granting of US citizenship to children of Russian diplomats serving in America. Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova has termed this a “new cycle” of pressure from Washington.

In an article published in the newspaper Vedomosti, Zakharova alleged that American officials, operating behind President Trump’s back and in violation of the law, are “forcibly imposing” US citizenship on the children of Russian diplomats. “This is the risk of kidnapping a newborn under the pretext of citizenship or taking them under control in the guise of a gender identity check,” she stated.

She remarked that this behaviour by American officials resembles a “bipolar disorder” and has derailed efforts to remove “irritants” in Russian-American relations. The Russian side has stated it will press the United States to provide evidence in each case that the newborn was outside US jurisdiction and held full diplomatic immunity.