US Esta - Russian Citizen implications?

What implications would being a Russian citizen have on a US esta application if one is applying through an Irish passport (he was born in Ireland, main passport, Russian is secondary via parents). The Russian citizenship statement included in the 'other citizenships' section.

Understanding that Russia isn't on the list of banned countries, would there still be a negative outlook or potential rejection, even with a clean history, no arrests, full work history etc. Is my mate just being overly worried about it due to negative news and perception about Russia?

Thanks in advance! Would be nice to hear if anyone has similar experiences to him or if youre in the same situation + results if any! He is looking to travel for a week to check out Yosemite.