Moscow: Russian diplomats will help in
reuniting swapped spies with their children left behind in the
US, according to media reports.
"Russian diplomatic missions abroad are monitoring the
situation and they will provide what assistance they can in
resolving issues related to the return of the children of
Russian citizens, accused of espionage in the US," a Foreign
Ministry source was quoted as saying by RIA Novosti.
Among the accused deported today from the US under the
Cold War style swap deal, which took place at Vienna airport
this afternoon, there are four married couples with a total of
seven children.
Mikhail Kutsik and Natalia Pereverzeva, who were known
as Michael Zottoli and Patricia Mills, soon after their arrest
began efforts for sending their two children, aged one and
three, to Russia.
According to earlier media reports, the US authorities
pledged not to create obstacles in the returning the children
to their parents in Russia.
It is not clear what will happen to the other four
children, the seven and 11-year-old daughters of Vladimir and
Lydia Guryev (Richard and Cynthia Murphy) and the 16 and
20-year-old sons of Andrei Bezrukov and Yelena Vavilova
(Donald Heathfield and Tracey Foley), who are by birth US
citizens.
The 17-year-old son of Vicky Pelaez and Mikhail
Vasenkov, who had been known as Juan Lazaro from Uruguay, is
expected to stay in the United States with his 38-year-old
half-brother, Pelaez's son from a previous marriage.
Pelaez is believed to be the only one of the 10 spies
who pleaded guilty in US court not to be born in Russia.
Lawyer Carlos Moreno said his client was expected to
spend about a week in Russia before returning to Peru, where
she was born and has many relatives.
The 55-year-old journalist has both US and Peruvian
citizenship.
Quoting the Peruvian RPP radio RIA Novosti reported
that Pelaez had decided to return home despite being promised
a Moscow apartment, visas and air tickets to Moscow for her
children, as well as a USD 2,000 monthly pension for life.
Her husband, who had been identified as Juan Lazaro of
Uruguay, is 66-year-old Russian Mikhail Vasenkov from Siberia.
Pelaez's lawyer Moreno said she was not aware of her husband's
Russian origin.
PTI
First Published: Friday, July 09, 2010, 22:35