MOSCOW, September 3. /TASS/. Searches in Russian diplomatic facilities in the United States are geared to prove Russia’s involvement in the presidential elections in that country, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Sunday.
"It is the job of a certain political group which uses such methods to worsen our relations in a bid to prove that Russia interfered into the elections, allegedly elected their president, hacked their computers," she said in an interview with the Itogi Nedeli weekly news roundup on the NTV television channel.
According to Zakharova, this "political group" is seeking to place responsibility for the loss at the elections on Russia. "So, they seek to prove that it was not their failure but it simply happened that way due to the involvement of another state. This is what explains all the actions," she said.
"In global terms, this show was need to keep the anti-Russian sentiment afloat. A new electoral cycle is now beginning in the context of US legislative assemblies," she noted.
On August 31, the United States authorities demanded Moscow close its consulate general in San Francisco, trade mission in Washington and its office in New York by September 2.
Earlier, the Russian foreign ministry said in statement that on September 2 the United States authorities had seized the buildings of Russia’s consulate general in San Francisco and trade mission in Washington, which are Russia’s property and enjoy diplomatic immunity. Apart from that, Russian personnel was denied access to the premises the Russian trade mission rents in New York. Moscow described the seizure of Russian diplomatic property in the United States as an openly hostile step and called on the US authorities to return the diplomatic facilities immediately.