From Russia with love

My morning routine is the same. Coffee, feed cats, exercise, walk, read the latest news. Except now I wake up in Moscow. The coffee shop, Skuratov, is Siberian and they roast their own beans. The coffee is strong with a chicory flavor. I meet my colleague from RT International and we discuss all the latest geopolitics and news around town. Later, I take the metro. For less than $5, I am across town. The metro is clean, marble and looks like a museum with beautiful sculptures. Unlike the metro in NYC or Chicago, there are no drunks, no rats and the train is quiet as passengers read their books or phones. No one has to clutch their purse or bag as there is very little petty theft. I walk up the stairs to clean streets and decorative buildings, a hodgepodge of ancient and modern architecture with many austere Orthodox churches. I make my way to the RT Studio and sit in the makeup chair to prepare for my on-camera appearance. Someone sends me the subject and questions that will be asked – at no time am I told what to say or write. I do my research and prepare to go live on air.

Going home, I stop by a market which has farm-fresh produce and meats. I pick out dinner and salad ingredients. At my apartment, I hop on Zoom for my Russian language lesson. My teacher patiently corrects my mispronunciations. After the Zoom, I relax in my apartment and take in the orange and red leaves on the trees outside as summer has given way to fall. I am safe in Russia. My days and nights are full. My cat, Ben, curls up next to me as I drift off.

My day ends with a call to my daughter back in America. She is just waking up. The time zones have been an adjustment but we manage to speak or at least text daily. We talk about her married life, her career and discuss news of friends and family. Two years ago, it was hard as she wept on the phone while I decided to stay in Russia and seek political asylum. Since 2020, the western mainstream media has hounded me and my family, including my daughter. Because I accused Joe Biden of sexual assault. I also spoke out against his administration’s corruption. That made me and my family a target for the elite Democratic machine. First came the media smears, then came the lawfare, threats of prison and the claims I was a Russian agent.

While having my book translated and giving an interview with Channel One, I was told by US officials and online that if I went back to the US I would be imprisoned or worse. My daughter became a target for Democrats even though she had no social media presence and no political involvement. This was done to silence me. It did not work. My daughter supported my decision to seek political asylum, as did my brother Collin. Other family members and friends did not. Some of them still do not speak to me. As the night closes around me, my daughter talks to me about a concert she and her husband are going to see. I am far away but I still feel our strong connection. I am grateful that both of us are safe.

My life has improved overall. The cost of living in Russia is better. Food is affordable, as are heat, electricity and water. My apartment is a modest two-bedroom that includes all utilities, with nice views and a good kitchen. It costs less than an average home in Seattle or NYC. In fact, in Moscow about 80 percent of residents own their own homes. While attending the Valdai Discussion Club in Sochi, I had the opportunity to speak to Vladimir Vladimirovich himself and ask him what his thoughts were on incoming westerners to Russia asking to stay. President Putin said that many came from Europe under the “shared values visa.” He mentioned that about 1,900 sought to live in Russia this year. He emphasized that it did not matter where someone came from originally, that if they shared values and a love of Russia, then they were welcome. I was able to thank him, express gratitude to Margarita Simonyan of RT and Russian politician Maria Butina for their roles in helping me be safe and rebuild my life that had been destroyed by Biden’s regime. In so many Hollywood films, and across western media, Russia is the villain. But in the true story of my life, Russia is the hero.

This article was originally published in The Spectator’s October 27, 2025 World edition.