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Subscribe to RSSThose already undergoing the costly process of adopting a child from Russia found out Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law barring any future adoptions, canceling the ones in progress. NBC's Kerry Sanders reports.
President Vladimir Putin signed a law on Friday that bans Americans from adopting Russian children and imposes other measures in retaliation for new U.S. legislation meant to punish Russian human rights abusers.
The law, which has ignited outrage among Russian liberals and children's rights advocates, enters into force on Jan. 1 and is likely to strain U.S.-Russia relations.
As well as banning U.S. adoptions, it will also outlaw some non-governmental organizations that receive U.S. funding and impose a visa ban and asset freeze on Americans accused of violating the rights of Russians abroad.
The law could block dozens of Russian children expected to be adopted by American families from leaving the country and cut off one of the main international routes for Russian children to leave orphanages that are often dismal. Russia is the single biggest source of adopted children in the United States, with more than 60,000 Russian children being taken in by Americans over the past two decades.
The bill is retaliation for an American law that calls for sanctions against Russians deemed to be human rights violators and part of an increasingly confrontational stance by the Kremlin against the West.
Related: Americans may lose right to adopt Russian children
Putin said U.S. authorities routinely let Americans suspected of violence toward Russian adoptees go unpunished — a clear reference to Dima Yakovlev, a Russian toddler for whom the bill is named. The child was adopted by Americans and then died in 2008 after his father left him in a car in broiling heat for hours. The father was found not guilty of involuntary manslaughter.
Children's rights ombudsman Pavel Astakhov on Wednesday said that 46 children who were about to be adopted in the United States would remain in Russia if the bill came into effect. On Thursday, he petitioned the president to extend the ban to other countries.
Courtesy Thomas family
John and Renee Thomas with their son, Jack, 7, who was adopted from Russia at the age of 3. Jack is hoping for his brother, Nikoly, now in a Russian orphanage, to join him in the United States.
Would-be adoptive parents in the United States are left hanging by Putin's signing of the bill, which was passed by Russian lawmakers last week.
Among them are John and Renee Thomas of Minnetonka, Minn., Kari Huus of NBC News reported. The Thomases have already adopted Jack, 7, from Russia. When they found out he had a little brother, they began the process to try to adopt him, too. The wait has stretched to four years, and now the adoption may be in danger.
"When Jack is asked about his family, he talks about his brother," John Thomas said. "He always asks, 'When is he coming home?' We just tell him we’re waiting for the call."
More: Adoption of little brother caught in US-Russia spat
UNICEF estimates that there are about 740,000 children without parental custody in Russia, while only 18,000 Russians are now waiting to adopt a child.
Russian President Vladamir Putin has said he'll sign a proposed law that would halt adoptions of Russian children to Americans. NBC's Duncan Golestani reports.
The U.S. State Department on Thursday repeated its opposition to the Russian measure.
"The welfare of children is simply too important to tie to the political aspects of our relationship," State Department spokesman Patrick Ventrell said. "Additionally, we are deeply troubled by the provisions in the bill that would restrict the ability of Russian civil society organizations to work with American partners."
Critics of the bill left dozens of stuffed toys and candles outside the parliament's lower and upper houses to express solidarity with Russian orphans.
An online petition urging the Kremlin to scrap the bill garnered more than 100,000 Russian signatures.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Leave a Comment:
walmart will now be selling american children, pick yours up today.
They're de-clawed and neutered?
There are how many thousands of kids here in the US that are up for adoption? Start there. We don't need to 'buy' kids from other countries.
Russia is only spiting themselves with this.
of course he signed it......he wrote it !!!!!
Nothing like a government using innocent children as political pawns. Its no worse than using a child as a shield.
Everyone wants a healthy white baby and there are simply not enough of them in the US. Problems with drugs and fetal alcohol syndrome plague Russian adoptions but can be avoided with careful screening. After all an adoption is very similar to selecting a good puppy. I find it a little hard to believe that parents bond with a child after a short (few hours) visit or two, it's like bonding with your IPAD. More it's an issue of "I want one" - because I was genetically incapable of making one and all my girl friends have one. When the parents care so much about their adoptive child that, like a briefcase, they casually leave them to roast alive in a car and then want to adopt another, maybe the Russians have a point about Americans. This American sense of entitlement is amazing - "I want a child", "I want that child", I'm having a tantrum. Get a life, buy American
The only reason Americans at large want Russian kids is because it is/was an easy (albeit expensive) way to get a white child. As many commenters have mentioned, there are thousands of kids in the US who need homes. Unfortunately, they are the wrong color.
Thank You Mr. Putin. It is time for Americans to wake up and take responsibility at home or look to third worls countries where children are in very desperate conditions. I'd also like to take a look at what has happened to these Russian children thats prompted this mandate. It wouldn't surprise me to learn that not all of these children were cared for properly.
so what let putin feed his own we dont need them!!!
if the parents meet the criteria of adoption, they have the financial means to feed thier own child. Dont worry, you wouldnt have to spend a penny to feed a child.
I don't like Russians anyways!
Honestly, I wish the US would put a ban on adopting foreign babies, as well. As mentioned by many people here, what is wrong with the concept of adopting a US baby that is in need of a good home? My parents adopted multiple children when we were growing up and now they have gone on to lead very productive lives and have adopted children of their own, as well. Come on people, we have to start thinking US first. The rest of the world can go to hell in a hand basket for all I care.
One problem is that in the number of children waiting to be adopted, only a small percentage are babies-and that's who most people want to adopt.
Thank you Mr. Putin!
Why send your kids to a country where 16 million children go to bed hungry every night?
...I take it that the country to which you are referring is America? America: Where owning a cellphone & having cable TV & crack is more important than feeding children that shouldn't have been bred to dead-beat parents in the first place.
Obeyme isn't going to fix this...
It is still easier to adopt a child from a foreign country than to adopt a child in the U.S....
Putin is doing nothing more than abusing the orphaned children in Russia. He continues to be a 'Russia is strong', muscle-flexing Communist asshat.
I would like to know why the guy was found not guilty for leaving the child in the car? That happens(unfortunately) about once every year or two in South Florida and the person is convicted for the death of the child, and if the child doesn't die, the child gets taken away from the parent/person responsible, at least for a while.
@gofins-4159157
What they do not say is that he is in prison on other charges related to the incident, and his wife filed for divorce! (but they tell EVERYONE how he was acquitted of the manslaughter charge)
Well he Russia goes again. What do you expect? WE all know who is really Mr. Putin and his comrades, don't we! For Americans to adopt an American child we also know how it goes. It's very difficult for us to adopt here. They expect so, so much about the American adopted couple that it makes them almost impossible to adopted here. That's why they choose to adopt abroad. Sad but true! We should lower a little bit the standards here to adopted a child. These children need us and more and more are without a home staying in a place with no parents only personnel that attends them and show them some love. The U.S. government MUST review the U.S. Laws in adopting here and why so few children have a happy home here by adoption. It's just a matter of time before Mr. Putin changes is mind. You know $$$.
Its to bad for those children!!!! maybe its time to focus on American children and saving them!!!! I am sick and tired of americans focusing their efforts of goodwill on countries that hate us and want to destroy us. Adopting american children = saving america!!!
Amen, brother!
vlad once again u have proven to the world ypu like to hurt your own citizens..playing politics with children
Ya know...nothing on this planet is 100%. 99% of the adoptions happen into excellent families. You will ALWAYS have a small percentage that go wrong. We should think the glass is almost full, not slightly empty. Politics is the worst thing ever to happen on this planet. Governments should try to do what is best for 95% and know you will never be able to help 100%.
I'm starting to think there is more freedom in Russia than in the US! In Russia, they have lightened up on Government control of people and business. In the US, we have tightened up control on people and business! Weird, huh? It's almost like Obama is trying to fundamentally change America into a Socialist or Communist country! Wow....I never saw that coming!
Russia has NOTHING to do with freedom nor less control and government interference in business. It is one of the most corrupt, unethical, and difficult places on the planet to conduct business.
Seems Putin is and will do everything he can to put us back into a "Cold War" state of mind.
rich white people want white kids !thats one reason to adopt russian.
If we worried about our own people as much as we do people from other countries, this country would be in a much better place. Why is it the obligation of the United States to adopt thousands of children from a country where obviously their own people do not care because if they did, there would not be that many children up for adoption. Let them take care of their own. We have enough adorable children here that people can adopt. In fact, I don't see how we need Russia for anything.
Agreed.....Time to start taking care of the US rather than the world!
There you go Putin, Showing the U.S. that you can't be intimidated anymore. Guess we can thank that crazy B&^#h for slapping a return sticker on the russian child and sending him back to russia unescorted because she could not handle him, what a loser......
We don't need no more stinking Russian spy kids.
wait...so......people have to actually make babies now? with women?
aren't we a little bit sophisticated as a nation to start reregulating sexual relations?
Or the adoptive parents leave the kid locked in a car with 100 plus temperature, or beat them.
Many cases recorded. Putin is RIGHT though, TIT FOR TAT. stay out of their affair they will stay out of ours.