Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Tuesday said that his daughter interns at the European Parliament as a regular student, after several EU lawmakers expressed security concerns.
Yelizaveta Peskova, 21, is listed as a trainee for French far-right EU parliamentarian Aymeric Chauprade, who had backed Russia’s 2014 annexation of the Crimean peninsula from Ukraine. Several of Chauprade’s colleagues have criticized Peskova’s internship as a security breach, the RFE/RL news service reported.
“This is an ordinary student and an ordinary internship we’re talking about,” Peskov told reporters in response to questions about his daughter, according to the state-run TASS news agency.
Chauprade, who told TASS that Peskova is paid the standard intern’s salary of 1,000 euros ($1,135) per month, rejected the criticism as “conspiratorial Russophobia.” Meanwhile, reports say that neither Chauprade nor Peskova have access to confidential documents in the European Parliament.
The children of high-level Russian officials are known to live and study in the West.
Peskova’s past work includes briefly assisting the head of a pro-Kremlin business association in 2017 before quitting and returning to France.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
