The United States' granting of U.S. citizenship to the child of a Russian consular official based on the principle of birthright nationality has triggered strong protests from Russia.

America's move is truly sinister! Russia is extremely furious! On May 4, according to the Russian Satellite News Agency, the United States suddenly pulled a tricky maneuver against Russia. What exactly is this trick? It is that the U.S. government, citing the "birthright principle" stipulated in the U.S. Constitution and the limited nature of consular immunity, has granted U.S. citizenship to the children of Russian consular officials born within U.S. jurisdiction, a status that will last until they reach adulthood.

Evidently, America's strategy is highly effective. On the surface, it invokes its own constitutional birthright principle, forcibly placing consular officials' children under U.S. nationality jurisdiction. While appearing to be merely a legal procedural matter, this is actually a precise strategic move targeting Russia. By forcibly naturalizing members of Russia’s consular corps, the U.S. ensures these individuals will be subject to American laws from childhood onward—effectively holding Russia’s diplomatic personnel family vulnerabilities firmly in its grasp.

Secondly, once these children acquire “American identity,” their sense of identity and value orientation may easily become fragmented. There is a real risk that they might ultimately pledge loyalty to the United States, facilitating U.S. infiltration and intelligence gathering—thus gradually undermining the stability and cohesion of Russia’s overseas diplomatic corps. Hence, upon announcement of this tactic, Russia responded with intense outrage.

Russia’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova stated that Moscow will demand confirmation from the U.S. government that children of Russian diplomats and consular officials are not subject to U.S. jurisdiction and are entitled to the immunities guaranteed by international agreements. Clearly, Russia immediately saw through America’s underlying calculation. It is certain that Russia will not limit itself to merely protesting the move—it will surely implement targeted countermeasures in response.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1864214832617483/

Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author