February 20, 2026

Dual Nationals Are Traitors, Again


Dual Nationals Are Traitors, Again
Passports from different countries. The Russian Life files.

On February 9, Novaya Gazeta Evropa revealed that Russian authorities are planning to crack down on dual citizenship by adding new penalties. According to the article, the Kremlin is reverting to the Soviet notion that citizens with second passports are traitors.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs proposed holding Russian citizens criminally liable if they fail to disclose a residency permit or citizenship from another country upon their arrival in Russia. Historian Rustam Alexander, author of Novaya Gazeta Evropa's exposé, claimed Russia is seeking to "identify potential traitors in advance." Since citizenship is viewed as a symbol of loyalty to the state, holding another passport is a red flag for authorities (no pun intended).

Hostility towards dual citizenship in Russia is not new. During the Soviet period, it was strictly forbidden to hold a second nationality. International travel and emigration were also severely restricted. Those who renounced their Soviet citizenship and sought asylum abroad often faced danger. For example, ballet dancer Rudolf Nureyev refused to return to the USSR and sought political asylum in France. The performer was deemed a "defector" and sentenced in absentia to seven years in prison.

In 1990, the Soviet Union allowed for voluntary resignation of citizenship.

Unlike Soviet-era policies, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' latest initiative does not affect the right to renounce one's citizenship nor the ability to travel. Alexander claimed the latest initiative exacerbates "internal toxicity," leaving room for "administrative charges and vaguely worded criminal charges." According to the historian, "Dual citizenship [ceased] to be just a legal status and instead [has become] the mark of a potential traitor."

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