Russia Explains Why It Canceled Student Exchange Program with US
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iStock/Thinkstock(MOSCOW) — A popular high school exchange program between Russia and U.S. is coming to an end after Russia’s Foreign Ministry pulled out of the deal as a result of conflicting student experiences.
Russian authorities cut off the Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX) Program, saying some students weren’t protected and wanted to return them to their home country. Officials claimed that one teenager stayed in the U.S. and was “handed over” to a homosexual couple. The teen reportedly befriended the gay couple but had not been placed with the family, according to authorities.
Russia stated the incident violated their ban on adoptions to the U.S. and put the student in moral danger.
Still, experts disagree, citing the belief that the decision is the latest in the political standoff between the two nations.
The FLEX program started more than two decades ago following the Cold War, created in part as a means to build bridges between Americans and former Soviet countries. An estimated 8,000 Russians traveled to the U.S. for year-long homestays, living with an American family and studying at an area high school.
“These young Russians have served as cultural ambassadors, representing the best of Russia, to millions of Americans throughout all 50 states,” U.S. Ambassador John F. Tefft said in a statement. “…We deeply regret this decision by the Russian government to end a program that for 21 years has built deep and strong connections between the people of Russia and the United States.”
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