If it's a legal decision, one can understand that, but it also brings up questions about the project's independence and neutrality. Any country and organization can now deem the project a security risk as it would be considered an extension of US foreign policy.
But if it's the former, the hypocrisy is nauseating:
Numerous war criminals who killed millions are called 'elder statesmen' in the US and are venerated today. Even as of this moment, a massacre is going on in the Middle East with US government support. But, American contributors are not removed from the project for that. Neither Torvalds seems to be saying anything about the past and ongoing crimes of such actors as the US, but instead vilifying Russia and Russians.
Disgusting however you look at it.
Note: "Whataboutism!!!":
If one makes moral comparisons, and even further, accusations, he has to provide an objective framework for comparison. If it's not provided or the framework just applies to others, the accusations become mere smears and have no weight. It becomes precisely what Chomsky labels "Only talking about the crimes of others". Hypocritically vilifying and targeting others while the 'side you are on' commits bigger crimes than those targeted.
"But Americans oppose their government"
Few do. Most support it. Otherwise, the US government wouldn't be able to kill 1 million Iraqis, then an unknown number of Libyans, Syrians, and so on. Without even going back to cases like Vietnam etc. And the few Americans who oppose their government haven't been able to change anything. Whereas the government always had, and still has enough majority support behind it no matter what atrocity or genocide it commits or abets. With the moral logic proposed by those like Torvalds, all Americans should be expelled from the project as well. Note that this also applies to the people of all US-satellite countries that aided and abetted all those atrocities and genocides, including but not limited to the Iraq war.