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US Notes Politics, Tragedy of New Russian Adoption Law

Voice of America

The United States says it “deeply” regrets Russia’s passage of a law ending inter-country child adoptions between the U.S. and Russia.

The State Department made the announcement Friday, hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin signed the controversial bill into law. The State Department said American families have adopted more than 60,000 Russian children in the past 20 years. It called the new law “politically motivated” and said it would reduce adoption possibilities for children who are now under institutional care.

The State Department said it is further concerned that adoptions already underway may be stopped. It urged the Russian government to allow those legal procedures to continue.

Before Putin signed the bill into law, a U.S. adoptee from Russia, Tatyana McFadden, told VOA why she supported a petition asking Putin to veto the bill.

“My name is Tatyana McFadden, and I think it’s very important to bring this petition to the U.S. embassy because I am here to speak for others who can’t on why adoption is very important. Adoption has saved my life and changed my life forever,” she said.