MOSCOW, July 16./TASS/. Statements from UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab about Russia’s alleged attempts to meddle in the 2019 general election is "yet another Russophonic nonsense," the head of the Russian State Duma (lower house of parliament) Committee for International Affairs, Leonid Slutsky, told journalists on Thursday.
"Statements from the UK foreign secretary about Russia’s mythical meddling in the parliamentary election is yet another Russophobic nonsense," he said, calling this "the ‘insanity’ diagnosis for Western politicians".
He drew attention to the ‘almost certain’ phrase in Raab’s statement. "In other words, once again criminal proceedings are launched based on ‘highly likely’, in the absence of concrete evidence, as the head of the Foreign Office himself admitted?" he asked. "Where is the presumption of innocence, where is the evidence?" the legislator stressed.
"The UK leadership keeps making the same anti-Russian mistakes, and by doing this it not only further undermines bilateral relations with Moscow, but also undermines its own prestige," Slutsky summed up.
Earlier in the day, the UK government maintained that Russia had tried to interfere in the 2019 general election.
"It is almost certain that Russian actors sought to interfere in the 2019 General Election through the online amplification of illicitly acquired and leaked Government documents," Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said in a statement.
"Whilst there is no evidence of a broad spectrum Russian campaign against the General Election, any attempt to interfere in our democratic processes is completely unacceptable" the statement said.
"The Government reserves the right to respond with appropriate measures in the future," the statement added.