MOSCOW, May 7. /TASS/. Kremlin Aide Yury Ushakov dressed down Western ambassadors that did not appear at Russian President Vladimir Putin's inauguration ceremony, saying they are forgetting why they are in Moscow.

"They simply are forgetting where they are and, most importantly, why," Ushakov said. "I think their capitals prevent them from carrying out normal diplomatic functions, which is regrettable."

Such behavior "speaks volumes in and of itself," he told reporters.

Earlier, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that the arrogant refusals of some Western diplomats to attend the presidential inauguration ceremony are ridiculous. Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov dubbed these moves by ambassadors as a "cheap trick."

Ushakov said on Monday that ambassadors accredited in Moscow, including diplomats representing unfriendly countries, had been invited to the ceremony.