The bill banning adoptions of Russian children by American citizens, in retaliation against an American law that punishes Russians accused of violating human rights, was approved by the Russian parliament and now has to be signed by the president. United States officials have strongly criticized the measure and have urged the Russian government not to enmesh orphaned children in politics. The New York Times published an article "Putin Says He Will Sign Law Barring U.S. Adoptions" scrutinizing Putin's position and its effects on the relations between the two countries.
“I intend to sign the law, as well as a presidential decree changing the procedure of helping orphaned children, children left without parental care, and especially children who are in a disadvantageous situation due to their health problems,” the New York Times quotes the Russian president.
According to the New York Times, "the ban is set to take effect on Tuesday, and some senior officials in Moscow said they expected it to have the immediate effect of blocking the departure of 46 children whose adoptions by American parents were nearly completed. Adoption agency officials in the United States who work regularly with Russian orphanages said they expected the number of families immediately affected by the ban to be far larger, about 200 to 250 who have already identified a child that they plan to adopt."
"Obama administration officials have been engaged in a debate over how strongly to respond to the adoption ban, and are trying to assess the potential implications for other aspects of the relationship between Russia and the United States," the newspaper writes.
"The focus on adopted children also showed the Russian government as largely vexed in trying to find a reciprocal response to the new American human rights law. Russians, especially wealthy ones, travel often to the United States and own property there, but Americans travel in relatively small numbers to Russia and typically do not maintain financial assets here," the New York Times concluded.
