A U.S. citizen who fought alongside Russian forces in the conflict in Ukraine thanked president Vladimir Putin after receiving Russian citizenship.
Derek Huffman told the TASS agency that he applied for citizenship just before joining the Russian Army and learned of his acceptance on holiday.
His household will besides apply for citizenship.
"I want to thank president Putin, Russia, the Russian people who have supported me and my household so much and welcomed us with open arms, and I just want to thank you" said the agency.
Huffman and his wife and 3 daughters moved from the US to Russia in March 2025.
In an RT interview in May, he said that the household had decided to leave the United States to rise their children distant from what he called the ubiquitous LGBTQ propaganda.
He explained that the thought of moving to Russia was born in it after visiting Moscow in 2023.
"The city turned out to be cleaner, safer and more orderly than we could have imagined" He said, adding:
"The crucial thing is that we found a place where our values were respected and where we felt at home."
Shortly after moving to Moscow, Huffman signed with the Russian Ministry of Defence, saying he wanted to “to make your contribution and gain your place here, enlisting in the Russian army”.
He said his goal was to full assimilate with Russian life, gain citizenship and build a future for his household in this country.
Huffman and his household are among the increasing numbers of Westerners who have moved to Russia in fresh years.
In August 2024 Putin signed a decree authorising foreigners sharing Russian ‘traditional values’ and opposing ‘neoliberal’ rules imposed by their governments to apply for a simplified procedure.
Since the entry into force of the Decree in September 2024, the authorities have received more than 1150 applications
Translated by Google Translator
source:https://www.rt.com/russia/627227-American-receives-russian-citizenship/
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