MOSCOW, June 10. /TASS/. Should US intelligence agencies continue their practice of pressuring Russian compatriots, it will have extremely negative consequences for bilateral relations, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Thursday.
"We have repeatedly pointed out via various unofficial diplomatic channels that Washington’s approach is unacceptable. We carried out demarches before the US Department of State, including via the Russian Embassy. Should this destructive practice continue, it will have the most negative effect on the bilateral relations, which are already overloaded by a large number of problems and distractions," she said.
Zakharova pointed out that US intelligence agencies exert pressure on the activists of the Russian compatriots’ organization, "viewing their honest efforts on maintenance of cultural and humanitarian ties with Russia and improvement of the atmosphere of the Russian-US relations through the civic diplomacy as a threat to the national security."
"Effectively, they challenge the diaspora’s legal right to preserve its identity, language, and ownership of the great historical heritage of Russia," the diplomat continued.
According to Zakharova, such actions "definitely could not be called civilized or compliant to democratic standards."
"They contradict, they violate the message, the principles voiced by the US," she added.
Earlier, The Daily Beast reported, citing its sources, that the FBI opened a probe into the Coordination Council of Russian Compatriots of the US (KSORS), and has already questioned dozens of people tied to the organization, and carried out searches in their homes and offices. A KSORS source told TASS that "no one from the Council’s staff has been apprehended, and no one has been charged with anything," adding that the Council continues its operation.
According to the Daily Beast report, the FBI suspects that Russia may use the KSORS as a "soft power" tool to spread its influence. When contacted by TASS, the FBI refrained from commenting, citing its practice to neither confirm nor deny the existence of certain investigations.