Democratic Senator Kirsten Gillibrand is seeking intervention to prevent Russia from halting adoptions of Russian children by American families. Saying that child adoptions, and in particular those already in process, should not be halted, the Senator is asking Russian President Medvedev to intervene.
Following an incident this month in which an American woman put her adopted Russian 8-year old son on a plane alone to Moscow, the Russian government says that all adoptions to the United States are on hold until new agreements are signed. Such matters take months to work through the system and a U.S. delegation is scheduled for travel to Moscow next week to open discussions on a new adoption agreement.
Senator Gillibrand and four other senators sent a letter to Russian President Medvedev and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Twelve US House members also co-sponsored the letter.
According to the Russian Education and Science Ministry, more than 1,800 children from Russia were adopted in the United States last year.
The Mendeleyev Journal - Live From Moscow 