MOSCOW, November 6. /TASS/. US political analyst John Varoli said he wants to obtain Russian citizenship and asked the Russian Foreign Ministry for assistance.

"I lived here [in Russia] for 20 years, in the 1990s and 2000s. I know Russia very well. I am an expert on Russia and have a degree in the field. Altogether, I have lived in Russia for 22 years, mostly in the 1990s and 2000s. Then I returned here, and I would like to thank your Foreign Ministry for granting me asylum. I very much want to obtain citizenship," he said during an open discussion titled "Unity of Peoples as a Principle of a Multipolar World: Russia’s Experience and Its Significance for International Relations." Varoli asked Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova to assist him with the process.

In 2019, Varoli publicly stated that the people of Donbass had the right to determine their own future. The political analyst said he faced legal proceedings in the United States and risked up to 20 years in prison, following his statements in support of Russia. Varoli then asked Russia for asylum and has been living here for more than a year.

From 1997 to 2010, John Varoli worked in Russia while contributing articles to Bloomberg and Reuters news agencies as well as The New York Times.

The international "Peoples of Russia" Week is held under a decree by Russian President Vladimir Putin and coincides with National Unity Day, celebrated on November 4. The Russian Security Council’s Office serves as the event’s coordinator. The "Znanie. Unity" marathon is organized by the Russian Znanie Society, an educational and public outreach organization, with the support of the Security Council. TASS is the event’s strategic media partner.