MOSCOW, July 16. /TASS/. Russia views Britain’s exit from the European Union as the domestic affair of the UK, and therefore it is absurd to accuse Moscow of having a hand in that process, Russia’s Foreign Ministry said on Monday.
"An article caught our eye in the British newspaper The Observer [the Sunday edition of The Guardian] dated July 8 and headlined ‘Revealed: Leave.EU campaign met Russian officials as many as 11 times’," the Foreign Ministry emphasized.
"A routine story for any diplomatic mission regarding meetings between Russian diplomats and business representatives, morphs into a conspiracy theory when narrated by British journalists," the statement said. "Painstakingly counting the number of Russian diplomats’ meetings, the publication attempts to infuse an element of sensationalism and play up a mysterious bond between the Russian Embassy in London and the Leave.EU public group founded by British businessman A. [Arron] Banks."
The Russian Foreign Ministry pointed out that the authors were trying to tie the start of the Leave campaign funded by Banks with his meetings with Russian diplomats.
According to Moscow, reality "stands in stark contrast to British fake news." The Foreign Ministry pointed out that the practice of communication with political, economic, cultural and scientific figures in a host county is part and parcel of "any diplomat’s daily routine and duties."
"The article’s authors might consult the UK embassy’s staff in Moscow, who, as Russian diplomats do in London, have regular meetings with Russian politicians and business people," the ministry noted. "Along with this, the diplomats stay in contact with representatives from both the ruling party and the opposition."
"Let’s reiterate that we view the complex relations over Brexit as the UK’s internal affair in addition to being the sphere of responsibility for British citizens themselves. Any attempts linking Russia and Russian overseas agencies to decision-making on Brexit look absurd. We are convinced that the British are capable of determining their future," the Russian Foreign Ministry concluded.