US Immigration Policies Harm Relations with Russia, Says Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson
Maria Zakharova, spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry, has stated that certain US officials are acting behind the scenes against Donald Trump, the President of the United States, in ways that contradict Trump’s declared policies. These remarks come as Moscow-Washington relations continue to face political and diplomatic tensions.
Zakharova alleged that US officials, citing the “right of soil” principle in the US Constitution and mentioning the limited scope of consular immunity, have initiated the process of granting American citizenship to children of Russian consulate staff born on US soil before reaching legal age, and in a manner she describes as “imposed.”
In a statement, she wrote that while Trump claims to be working to contain the immigration crisis inherited from previous administrations, certain officials under his authority in the immigration sector are taking actions that could further harm what she calls the “ailing” relationship between Russia and the US.
The Russian diplomat also accused what is referred to as the “deep state” of violating one of Trump’s key electoral promises about preventing the legalization of illegal immigrants through such decisions. She described this situation as a sign of what she called the “decay of democracy” in America.
In another part of her statement, Zakharova accused the United States of systematically violating its obligations to the United Nations by refusing to issue visas to diplomats sent to participate in specialized meetings at the UN headquarters. She added that under these circumstances, Washington’s selective focus on the children of Russian diplomatic staff has raised new concerns.
