On Monday, the US State Department issued a warning for US citizens to leave Russia immediately, saying that dual nationals could be conscripted to serve in the war in Ukraine.
The war has killed or injured 220,000 people on both sides in nearly a year of fighting.
It’s one of several travel warnings the US has issued for both Ukraine and Russia, but the claim that Americans could be drafted was strongly rejected by the Russian government. In November, Russian state media news outlet Tass reported that President Vladimir Putin had extended conscription to dual nationals and citizens with residency status abroad.
The US State Department has also issued several travel advisories in recent months, warning US citizens to "not travel to Ukraine due to active armed conflict. Those US citizens in Ukraine should depart if it is safe to do so”.
Have US dual national citizens been conscripted by Russia?
To date, no dual national US citizens in Russia are reported to have been conscripted. This is despite the fact that Russia has drafted hundreds of thousands of men to fight in the conflict and is now mobilising further waves of soldiers as a new major offensive begins.
However, Ukraine’s embassy in Washington claims that 4,000 US citizens have volunteered to fight in the country’s foreign fighter brigades, part of a force called the International Legion of Territorial Defence of Ukraine. As of January 2023, six American citizens are thought to have been killed fighting on the side of Ukraine.
In September, two US war veterans captured by Russia in June were released as part of a prisoner exchange, Andy Tai Ngoc Huynh and Alexander John-Robert Drueke.
How many US citizens are in Russia?
The US State Department told the BBC on Monday that it did not track numbers of US citizens abroad, so there are currently no reliable estimates. There are, however, some high-profile dual nationals residing in Russia.
In September, US State Department spokesman Ned Price warned that prominent whistle blower Edward Snowden could be drafted to fight in Ukraine.
Mr Snowden fled to Russia in 2013 and claimed asylum after leaking a vast trove of documents exposing US domestic surveillance of citizens on a massive scale by the National Security Agency. Mr Price was reiterating the US position that Mr Snowden “must return to face justice” and that, “as a result of his Russian citizenship, apparently now he may well be conscripted to fight in Russia's war in Ukraine". Mr Snowden was granted Russian citizenship in September 2022.
Another prominent American supporter of Russia is Hollywood actor Steven Seagal, who was given Russian citizenship in 2016.
The star of movies including Under Siege and Hard to Kill is unlikely to face conscription, however, having been given the title of special representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation for Humanitarian Relations between Russia and the US.
He reportedly visited Russian-held parts of Ukraine in August to condemn the US supply of precision-guided missiles to Ukrainian forces.
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
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Match info:
Burnley 0
Manchester United 2
Lukaku (22', 44')
Red card: Marcus Rashford (Man United)
Man of the match: Romelu Lukaku (Manchester United)
MATCH INFO
Jersey 147 (20 overs)
UAE 112 (19.2 overs)
Jersey win by 35 runs
House-hunting
Top 10 locations for inquiries from US house hunters, according to Rightmove
- Edinburgh, Scotland
- Westminster, London
- Camden, London
- Glasgow, Scotland
- Islington, London
- Kensington and Chelsea, London
- Highlands, Scotland
- Argyll and Bute, Scotland
- Fife, Scotland
- Tower Hamlets, London
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
Sweet%20Tooth
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Country-size land deals
US interest in purchasing territory is not as outlandish as it sounds. Here's a look at some big land transactions between nations:
Louisiana Purchase
If Donald Trump is one who aims to broker "a deal of the century", then this was the "deal of the 19th Century". In 1803, the US nearly doubled in size when it bought 2,140,000 square kilometres from France for $15 million.
Florida Purchase Treaty
The US courted Spain for Florida for years. Spain eventually realised its burden in holding on to the territory and in 1819 effectively ceded it to America in a wider border treaty.
Alaska purchase
America's spending spree continued in 1867 when it acquired 1,518,800 km2 of Alaskan land from Russia for $7.2m. Critics panned the government for buying "useless land".
The Philippines
At the end of the Spanish-American War, a provision in the 1898 Treaty of Paris saw Spain surrender the Philippines for a payment of $20 million.
US Virgin Islands
It's not like a US president has never reached a deal with Denmark before. In 1917 the US purchased the Danish West Indies for $25m and renamed them the US Virgin Islands.
Gwadar
The most recent sovereign land purchase was in 1958 when Pakistan bought the southwestern port of Gwadar from Oman for 5.5bn Pakistan rupees.
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
Match info:
Portugal 1
Ronaldo (4')
Morocco 0
The specs
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 620hp from 5,750-7,500rpm
Torque: 760Nm from 3,000-5,750rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed dual-clutch auto
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh1.05 million ($286,000)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
THREE
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