Putin: Ban on US Adoptions to Become Law

Vladimir Putin says he will sign a controversial bill banning Americans from adopting Russian children. Putin said in a televised meeting today that he "doesn't see any reasons" to object to the bill and "intends to sign it" into law. The president said US authorities deny access to adopted Russian children and let Americans suspected of violence toward Russian adoptees go unpunished.

Critics say that the bill will deprive many Russian orphans of an opportunity to get a family. The Russian parliament had voted for the bill, which is part of a larger measure by lawmakers retaliating against a recently signed US law calling for sanctions against Russians deemed guilty of human rights violations. UNICEF estimates that there are about 740,000 children without parental custody in Russia.