MOSCOW, September 16. /TASS/. Moscow has taken note of US interference in Russia’s electoral processes ahead of the State Duma elections, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told Channel One on Thursday.
"As for the upcoming elections, the situation is unprecedented. For several years, we have been hearing Washington, the US Department of State, and law enforcement agencies talk about Russia’s alleged interference in their electoral processes. Every time, we asked for facts, but there were no facts, no data, and no reports that they could have provided to us through the relevant channels," she pointed out. "We are currently engaged in preparations for our elections, early voting is already underway, and the main part of the voting process will begin tomorrow, and we are taking note of US interference," Zakharova added.
According to her, Russia does not seek to turn it all into a PR campaign and will maintain dialogue with the US based on facts. "We aren’t shouting it from the rooftops, we aren’t turning it all into a PR campaign and neither are we using the megaphone diplomacy tools that they used, which wasn’t about diplomacy but actually about ultimate fighting. We summoned the US ambassador and provided him with the opportunity to see the facts concerning our suspicions, as well as specific complaints," the Russian diplomat noted. "Since we know how US diplomacy works, which may be about getting some facts, making a different kind of a report and presenting it to the public in a completely different way, we reiterated the signal in Washington, too. Our embassy in the United States presented this information both to the US Department of State and the National Security Council," Zakharova explained.
The Russian Foreign Ministry summoned US Ambassador to Moscow John Sullivan on September 10 for a meeting with Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov. According to the ministry, the Russian diplomat provided the US envoy with evidence proving that US tech giants violated Russian laws ahead of the elections, and emphasized that interference in Russia’s domestic affairs was unacceptable.
Elections to the eighth State Duma (the lower house of parliament) are scheduled for September 19, 2021, known as the Single Voting Day. The balloting process will span across three days - September 17, 18 and 19.