Russia Refuses to Recognise Forced US Citizenship on Families of Diplomats

Moscow (ANTARA) - Moscow will not recognise US citizenship imposed on members of Russian diplomatic families working in the United States, said Maria Zakharova, spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry. “Russia does not recognise the imposition of US citizenship on Russian citizens born to families of our diplomatic, administrative-technical, and consular personnel in the US,” Zakharova wrote in an article for the Russian newspaper Vedomosti. The arbitrary granting of US citizenship to children of Russian diplomats could potentially give Washington leverage to pressure Russian mission personnel abroad, the spokesperson added. “What if a child is abducted under the pretext, for example, of child protection laws or the need to verify gender suitability as part of a new wave of regulations? We have seen many such examples,” Zakharova said.