Putin grants Russian citizenship to U.S. boxer Jones (Reuters)

Russian President Vladimir Putin has granted Russian citizenship to Roy Jones Junior, a prominent U.S. professional boxer who had asked for it last month when he met Putin in the disputed region of Crimea, the Kremlin said on Saturday. The move is the latest example of the Kremlin publicizing cases of prominent Westerners who praise Russia or offer symbolic support for Putin’s policies, at a time when Putin is at odds with Western governments over the Ukraine crisis.