An American who accused Joe Biden of sexual assaults dating back to the 1990s during the 2020 election campaign asked President Vladimir Putin for Russian citizenship in an interview in Moscow on Tuesday.
Tara Reade, 59, appeared in a filmed interview with media outlet Sputnik alongside Russian MP Maria Boutina, who was jailed for a period in the United States for attempting to infiltrate political circles.
She said she came to Moscow as a simple tourist but felt safe “for the first time in a long time”.
Ms Reade said she decided to stay in Russia for good after a Republican politician told her she was in danger.
“I would like to apply for Russian citizenship from President Vladimir Putin,” she announced, promising to be “a good citizen.”
In early 2020, she alleged that then-presidential candidate Joe Biden sexually assaulted her in a US Congressional hallway in 1993, when he was a senator and she was working for him.
The allegation, categorically rejected by the Democrat, was nevertheless embarrassing for his campaign against outgoing President Donald Trump, who himself has been accused by several women of sexual assault, molestation or rape.
But there were discrepancies in Tara Reade’s statements. For example, no trace was found of the complaint she allegedly subsequently filed with Congress.
The American, who presents herself as a geopolitics specialist, assured Tuesday that she had received death threats after her allegations were made public in 2020.