VLADIMIR Putin has mocked the UK by parading two British turncoats who have been granted asylum in Russia.
Christina Anna Cameron Davydova, 51, and her mother Eileen Morag Pidwell, 86, appear to have gotten the green light after waiting a year to become fully-fledged Russian citizens.
Christina adopted a Russian name – Davydova – after coming to Russia to study ballet 30 years ago after her first visit to the USSR in 1989.
Her mother, originally from Dundee, joined her in the country.
Both have been long term residents in Russia.
Eileen served in the Women’s Royal Naval Service before working in air traffic control at Heathrow Airport, according to Russian reports.
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‘We would accept Russian citizenship with great pleasure,’ explained Christina.
“We’ve always dreamed about this.
“We want to stay in Russia to live, because I am deeply grateful to this country for the knowledge that I was so eager to receive and that it gave me.
“Now I want to share this experience here.
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“Russia has a very high level of artistic excellence, it is highly valued, so I want to be here.”
It is unclear if deep tensions over the war with Ukraine are behind their decision to seek asylum.
Evidently the request to the Russian state on their behalf came via the RT Putin propaganda machine.
Police Major Alexei Zhurin told the women in a ceremony granting them asylum: “Please accept our deepest congratulations.”
The mother and daughter have worked with Russian ballet troupes.
Christina is a choreographer and her mother made sets and costumes.
Interior Ministry spokeswoman Irina Volk said the asylum was granted in a “solemn ceremony”.
“Police Major Alexei Zhurin presented the women with certificates of temporary asylum in the Russian Federation, wishing them success and explaining that this document gives the citizen the right to medical care [and to work].”
They were told how to submit applications for permanent citizenship.
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The women were granted the same status which US whistleblower Edward Snowden was given after leaking National Security Agency (NSA) secrets in 2013 and fleeing to Russia.
Later he became a naturalised Russian citizen.
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