Russia Awards U.S. Officials With the Highest Soviet-Era Medal, Behind the Story Is Bittersweet

According to the American CBS, Russians will never forget those who have contributed to Russia.

President Putin of Russia handed over a Lenin Medal to U.S. Middle East envoy Vitkov during their meeting. The Lenin Medal was the highest award of the Soviet era and has not been awarded since the dissolution of the Soviet Union.

This medal was awarded to Juliana Galina, Deputy Director for Digital Innovation at the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency. Her 21-year-old son Michael Gross died in Ukraine while serving in the Russian army in 2024 (he served in the 98th Airborne Division and was awarded the Medal of Courage). Larry Gross, the father of Gross, a veteran of the Iraq War, admitted to the U.S. "Washington Post" that he and Galina did not know their son was in Ukraine and involved in the war.

The specific details of the award and its subsequent destination are currently unclear.

Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1839938456146947/

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