MOSCOW, June 4. /TASS/. Scott Ritter was restricted by the US Department of State from traveling to the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) because of his intelligence ties, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov believes.

The Kremlin official suggested that he was banned from making the trip because he is a former intelligence officer. "Especially to a hostile country," he added. "And we are an enemy country for them, much like they are for us." "This is understandable - this is done almost in all countries with regard to former intelligence officers," Peskov added.

That said, he noted that if the restrictions are not related to this, then the Department of State’s actions are "the latest manifestation of the rabid campaign to prevent US citizens from interacting with the Russian Federation."

Former US intelligence officer and UN inspector Scott Ritter told TASS that he was taken off a flight from New York to Istanbul from where he planned to arrive in Russia for SPIEF. According to him, he was not told why the US authorities did not let him leave the country. He was told that he was prevented from traveling on instructions by the US Department of State. Ritter was led out of the airport and given his bags.