MOSCOW, July 18. /TASS/. Moscow demands from Washington to provide evidence concerning Russia’s alleged meddling in the US election, Russian Ambassador to the US Anatoly Antonov told reporters on Wednesday.

"As for interference, to paraphrase a Chinese proverb, one cannot make a tiger of one hundred mice. No matter how many accusations, the key demand is to furnish evidence," the diplomat stressed.

Washington’s allegations about Moscow’s alleged interference in the US presidential election are total nonsense, Antonov reiterated. 

"The US wants to announce a verdict first and then have a conversation," he said. "Moreover, at first, our British counterparts used the phrase ‘highly likely’ concerning allegations against Russia, but now some just say that Russia did interfere in US domestic affairs. This is total nonsense," the ambassador pointed out. "Russian President Vladimir Putin put it clearly at the joint press conference [with US President Donald Trump] in Helsinki," he added.

The FBI, as well as the intelligence committees of the US Senate and House of Representatives, have been pursuing a probe into Russia’s alleged interference into the 2016 US presidential election. The investigation is headed by Special Counsel Robert Mueller.

Trump and the key members of his team have been repeatedly refuting all accusations concerning the alleged collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia. Moscow has also rejected these allegations on numerous occasions.

On Friday, the US authorities indicted in absentia twelve Russian military intelligence officers as part of the probe into Moscow’s alleged meddling. The indictment identifies the defendants as officers with the Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU) of Russia’s General Staff.