The Russian Foreign Ministry accused American diplomats of actually inciting protests. This is stated in the statement of the department published on the website.
This is not the first time the US Embassy in Moscow has shown disregard for diplomatic norms and rules, the ministry noted. In particular, we are talking about supporting uncoordinated protest actions in Russian cities. “In essence, we are talking about encouraging violent actions, hypocritically declared as a peaceful protest, in which the organizers cynically involve even minors,” the message says.
The Russian department advised the American authorities to tackle problems within their own country, including overcoming “the split in American society generated by social injustice, inequality and the persecution of dissent.” “Attempts by American diplomacy, ignoring all decency, in fact, to incite radical elements are doomed to failure,” the Foreign Ministry said.
They stressed that such steps would have a negative impact on bilateral relations, and the leadership of the American embassy “will have a serious conversation at the Russian Foreign Ministry.”
Earlier, the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova said that the representatives of the US Embassy would have to explain themselves “on Smolenskaya Square”. They demanded an explanation from American diplomats due to a recent publication on the website of the American diplomatic mission, in which information appeared where and when massive unauthorized events were planned.
Supporters of Alexei Navalny, detained at Sheremetyevo airport and later arrested for 30 days, announced plans to hold unauthorized actions on 23 January. The detention took place on the basis of a decree by the head of the Federal Penitentiary Service for Moscow, according to which Navalny was put on the wanted list for systematic violations of the conditions of the probationary period.
