The Russian Foreign Ministry accused Washington of forcibly granting citizenship to the children of Russian diplomats without their knowledge. The ministry viewed this as pressure on the staff of Russian diplomatic missions and intrigues behind Trump's back.
The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs accused the American authorities of forcibly granting U.S. citizenship to the children of Russian diplomats who have never submitted the corresponding applications. The relevant claims were made by the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, in an article titled "Thank you, no. Enough. Stop!" published in the newspaper "Vedomosti" on Monday, May 4.
Zakharova described a specific incident: a diplomat working in the U.S. received a call from a State Department employee who informed him that his minor son is a U.S. citizen. When he objected that no citizenship application had been submitted, the interlocutor replied that the passport had been issued automatically—by virtue of birth and "against his will." The basis for this was the "right of soil" enshrined in the U.S. Constitution.
Pressure and "Intrigues Behind Trump's Back"
Zakharova regarded such incidents as acts of pressure on Russian personnel, which can only worsen the "already ailing Russian-American relations." According to her, the actions of State Department employees indicate that they are "engaging in intrigues" behind President Trump's back and demonstrate a contradictory approach to immigration policy: some are denied documents even when applicants express a desire for them, while others are "forcibly shoved citizenship."
Zakharova stated that Russia does not recognize the imposition of American citizenship on its citizens and will demand confirmation from the American side in each specific case that the child is not under U.S. jurisdiction.
