The key facts

  • John Varoli asked the Russian Foreign Ministry to assist in obtaining Russian citizenship
  • According to him, he lived in Russia for about 20 years and currently has refugee status
  • In 2019, he publicly supported the right of Donbas residents to determine their own destiny

Statement at a dialogue on a multipolar world

American political scientist John Varoli said he wants to obtain Russian citizenship and asked the Russian Foreign Ministry to assist him in this. 'I really want to get citizenship,' he said during the dialogue 'Unity of Peoples as a Principle of a Multipolar World: The Russian Experience and Its Significance for International Relations.' This was reported by TASS citing Gazeta.Ru.

Biography and circumstances of his return

According to Varoli, he lived in Russia for twenty years — in the 1990s and 2000s. He then moved to the United States, but later returned to Russia and received refugee status here, for which he thanked the Russian Foreign Ministry. From 1997 to 2010, he worked in Russia as a journalist, writing for Bloomberg, Reuters, and The New York Times.

Position on Donbas and threat of prosecution

In 2019, Varoli publicly stated that the residents of Donbas have the right to determine their own destiny. According to him, after these statements in support of Russia, courts began pursuing him, and in the United States he faces 20 years in prison for his position. He has been living in Russia for about a year now.

Context

Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin granted Russian citizenship to 26 foreigners. The publication does not say how the Russian Foreign Ministry will respond to Varoli's request or what decision will be made on his application.